Warriors Reportedly Tried to Trade Steph Curry and Klay Thompson for Chris Paul and That's a Lot to Process

The Golden State Warriors became a dynasty thanks in large part to the record-setting backcourt duo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Both were first-round picks, with Curry being drafted in 2009 and Thompson in 2011.

Either player being on a different team would have altered the NBA landscape over the past decade immeasurably, and the new book "The Victory Machine" from Warriors reporter Ethan Strauss claims the team nearly broke up the future dynasty in 2011 before it even started... in a move for Chris Paul!

The craziest part of the story is that it came down to Paul making it clear he would not re-sign with Golden State on a long-term deal. The proposal -- which included an extra Golden State first-round pick just for kicks -- was out there for the New Orleans Hornets' taking, and the two sides seemed content on a deal. In the end, CP3 himself kept it from happening.

The rest is history.

The alternate histories from such a move happening are endless. The Warriors may have remained as one of the worst teams in the league, the Hornets could have been a super team, the Cleveland Cavaliers may have won more than one title, and the whole NBA would look a heck of a lot different today.

Trade talks that don't lead to a deal happen all the time, but this one is a special kind of doozy. Who knows how Kevin Durant's legacy would have been altered? Would he still be in Oklahoma City to this day? See, the questions can go on forever.

All told, Warriors fans now know they can thank Chris Paul for helping to create their dynasty by the Bay.