Chris Paul joining historic rival Warriors is proof nothing in the NBA lasts forever

Idols become rivals.

Rivals become contentious.

Contentious rivals become … teammates?

It will certainly be awkward to see Chris Paul point to Stephen Curry after a whistle and dap him up while Curry heads to the bench. It’ll even be more awkward to see Paul defending Draymond Green during one of Green’s many line-stepping moments when Paul is usually the one playing the role of the police.

It’s just another signal the NBA changes faster than ever. It wasn’t exactly last season, but in 2020-21 Paul was top five in MVP voting — trailing Nikola Jokić, Joel Embiid, Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

And in last year’s playoffs, virtually everyone had their mouths watered for a Golden State-Phoenix Western Conference finals — one more postseason battle between two of the preeminent point guards of this generation, if not all time. Time and Luka Dončić had other plans for the Suns, however.

It all seems so sudden, time catching up with the 38-year-old Paul and being shipped to D.C. for Bradley Beal then re-routed to the Bay.

That heat was real, no matter which jersey Paul was in. Already an ornery chap, Paul seemed to bring it out of Curry, an uber-competitive type himself. And Paul seemed to represent the old guard, not quite accepting of what Curry signified. Curry was the face of a changing league, not only adjusting to the new rules but setting them and daring the prime stars to catch up.

Defeat has long been conceded since, giving way to a little desperation because the situation calls for it.

It’s not like we haven’t seen this before. Even Dennis Rodman donned Bad Boy Blue before Bulls Red — but there was a clear four-year period between him terrorizing Scottie Pippen, sending him into the Auburn Hills stands after a hard playoff foul before the Bulls acquired him as the missing piece for the next iteration of their dynasty.

We at least had time for things to simmer down in that rivalry, with Rodman spending two years in San Antonio before heading back to the Midwest.

There’s no such interim period now, not with the historically talented types playing longer than ever and the young talent coming in ready to be productive. It won’t last forever; the greats will eventually age out, but in the meantime, the time to waste is nil.

Teams, and players, have to be ready to pivot at a moment’s notice. Not just because of how the league moves but why the NBA circulates the way it does.

Punitive luxury tax penalties, implemented to both suppress salaries and institute the ever-impossible parity, mean a lot in the foreseeable future.

The bigger the salary, the more vulnerable the middle-class player appears to be — the players who provide texture to contenders. Before, a team’s sizable investment was a signal a player belonged in the long-term plans.

Then … John Collins, underutilized in Atlanta but recipient of a five-year, $125 million in the summer of 2021, found himself a cap casualty, sent to Utah to get the Hawks under the punitive apron.

Collins was in trade rumors for the last couple of years anyway, well before this new collective bargaining agreement was reached months ago, so this was likely inevitable but hastened due to the new rules.

For now, or at least until a new expected media rights deal flushes the system with new money and a higher salary cap, good players could be on the move for reasons besides basketball fit. Everybody has to be pliable and prepared to find themselves in unexpected situations.

Not only is there no such thing as an untradable contract, there are fewer and fewer unrealistic scenarios involving groupings of players. Who would’ve thought Kevin Durant and Devin Booker would be in a spot where Beal joins their team?

It’s not a matter of loyalty, but of practicality, even if temporary realism.

In some ways, Durant joining the Warriors in the summer of 2016 separated the men from the boys in the pocketbooks. Either you were all in and going for it or taking a step back and waiting out what was supposed to be an extended run.

That run lasted only three years, and it birthed teams like the Houston Rockets taking on the challenge, pairing Paul with James Harden to go after the juggernaut.

And if you’re counting, Paul’s stint with the Rockets was four teams ago — including the layover in Washington.

And while he’s turned into a vagabond, being varying degrees of brilliant along the way, it feels like it won’t be uncommon as time goes on.

Parity has created urgency or at least the illusion of opportunity. Depending on LeBron James’ agenda for the next couple years, he could be in ring-chasing mode or attempting to play with his son, Bronny.

Philadelphia should be considering major changes, if the people in charge are wise as opposed to infatuated with the incumbents. Milwaukee will make tweaks around the edges, but should be open to shape-shifting moves if presented.

We’ve seen Golden State shed salary and go for “now” all in the same transaction. Boston shipped out its heart and soul in a high-leverage, big-salary move — and all this was after Phoenix decided to go two feet into the tax with the Beal move.

Things we thought would never be have suddenly turned plausible; impossible is nothing.

Be prepared for any and everything.