As the Golden State Warriors seek a veteran backcourt presence this offseason to help solidify their rotation, numerous options have been floated as potential solutions to this problem.
Yet, the Warriors have sat still thus far in free agency, and, with news breaking of Chris Paul returning to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he will likely finish his career, the team has missed an opportunity to facilitate a serendipitous return for the veteran guard.
While Paul has made it clear throughout his free agency process that he wishes to be close to his family in Southern California, thus making it unlikely that Golden State could have persuaded him to sign, this news makes things even more dire for the organization this offseason.
Chris Paul could have been exactly what the Warriors needed
Paul, after 20 seasons in the NBA, announced at the start of free agency that this season, were he to find a suitable team to play for, would be his last in the league. Yet, at 39, Paul is still decidedly an impactful player.
Last season, with the San Antonio Spurs, Paul started all 82 games, aiding in the development of the team's young core and averaging 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists.
As the Warriors seek a dependable backcourt presence to offset some of the inconsistencies in Brandin Podziemski's and Buddy Hield's games, Paul would have been an ideal option on a veteran minimum contract to provide ball-handling and offensive consistency from the bench.
Instead, Paul will join a roster loaded with veterans, including Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Bradley Beal, bolstering one of the already most impressive teams in the Western Conference.
With Beal signing with the Clippers, and the recent news of Marcus Smart signing with the Los Angeles Lakers following his buyout, the options on the market for veteran guards are becoming more limited by the day.
As of now, it appears likely that Golden State will welcome a return of De'Anthony Melton, who signed a one-year contract with the team last season but was ultimately traded to the Brooklyn Nets in an act of financial balancing after he suffered a season-ending ACL tear.
However, Melton has missed significant chunks of the last two seasons due to injury, and, although what the Warriors like about him obviously remains relevant, his signing poses a massive injury risk to the team's rotation.
Therefore, while it never seemed like Paul was a real possibility for Golden State, seeing him sign with a rival to end his career is a sad sign for Warriors fans everywhere.