The Golden State Warriors have been active in their trades as NBA free agency is scheduled to begin the next week.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the organization chose not to extend a qualifying offer to guard Lester Quinones
“League sources told @hoopshype that the Golden State Warriors would not extend a qualifying offer to guard Lester Quinones. The 23-year-old guard, who shot 36.4 percent from three point range in 37 games for the Warriors last season, will be free to sign with any team.
The Warriors have to make some tough choices this offseason, which is why they made this trade. The team’s ability to make significant adjustments to a roster that underperformed the previous season is somewhat limited because of the hard cap. Klay Thompson, a key player who is still productive but nearing the end of his career, may decide to leave Golden State if he isn’t offered a contract he is happy with.
In order to reduce his contract, the Warriors are also considering trading for forward Andrew Wiggins. They may even ban him from competing for Team Canada in the Olympics later this summer.
Quinones appeared in 44 games over the course of two seasons after agreeing to a two-way contract with the Warriors in 2022. He scored 4.2 points a night on average.
Chris Paul, a guard for the Warriors, consented to defer his $30 million salary guarantee until June 30, 2024–2025. The change was made just before the decision’s Friday deadline.
The announcement coincided with reports that Paul and Wiggins are being “aggressively” shopped around the trade market as the Warriors look to make last-minute changes to their aging, championship-caliber squad. This might mean that Paul is leaving Golden State.
Paul finished the previous season with a less than ten point per game average and a respectable but unremarkable 44.1 percent field goal percentage. Despite playing less minutes, he contributed 6.8 assists, but his offensive and defensive efficacy were below average. Stephen Curry’s 2023–24 season, which was another MVP-caliber campaign, was largely attributed to his ability to pass.
It was Paul’s 39th birthday in May. His days as a starting NBA player seem to be numbered, barring an extraordinarily unusual career comeback in his 40s, which is part of the reason Golden State seems to be shopping him.
It will be challenging for the Warriors to find a market for a player with such an enormous contract, but recent rumors suggest that the New Orleans Pelicans—who just acquired Dejounte Murray on Friday—might be interested. He will probably sign a buyout deal and return to Golden State, or he will likely sign for a much less contract and sign with another team. Paul would be better off joining a team like the San Antonio Spurs at a reduced cost compared to what it would currently cost.