The Warriors wanting to be rid of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson seems unthinkable these days but back in 2011, the Dubs tried shipping out the Splash Brothers to get their hands on Chris Paul, already a superstar then. Golden State made a move, and New Orleans loved the idea but CP3 was not excited at all.
This tale came from Ethan Strauss's new book "The Victory Machine," which revealed the one time that Bob Myers thought of trading Curry. Lucky for Myers, the deal was never implemented, and Curry went to partner with Thompson in winning three NBA titles for the Bay Area club.
But it should be understood that in 2011, Thompson was just about to start on his rookie year and Curry - he was struggling with injuries at that time and not the dominant NBA figure that he is now. Myers did not imagine then that Curry will become an MVP and bring honors to the Warriors.
The team was looking for a superstar to jumpstart the roster, according to Yahoo Sports and Paul emerged as a good target. He wanted out of New Orleans, so Myers thought he would love to be in San Francisco.
"The Warriors attempted to trade Steph Curry and Klay Thompson for Chris Paul in 2011. It was far from the only time Curry was shopped, but in this instance, the deal was very close to completion. Myers made the offer and Hornets GM Dell Demps was receptive," Strauss recalled, and per the same report.
As mentioned, however, CP3 was not very pleased that his next destination is a club that was deemed then as unlikely to get a shot at winning an NBA crown, at least in the few years to come. So he ended up joining the Clippers, and he continued to be a great player there.
The Warriors were left to continue with Curry and Thompson, and the prospect then wasn't too rosy for the team, according to NBC Sports. Thompson was No. 11 overall pick, so his arrival in the NBA was not exactly accompanied by a parade.
Nearly the same situation can be said of Curry. He was dealing with recurring injuries that nearly derailed his young career, but he pulled through.
"Nobody thought he was going to revolutionize the game of basketball and/or become the first unanimous NBA MVP in league history," the NBC report noted.
In the years that followed, Curry and Thompson collaborated with Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant, and the Warriors dominated the league for nearly half-a-decade. They established a tradition of winning and excellence, which applies both for the club and the players.
Meanwhile, Paul is still dreaming of wearing an NBA ring soon, which could be the same thing that Myers might be thinking about had the trade on his eventual marquee players pushed through.
