Getty Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors.
Jordan Poole is a member of the Golden State Warriors no more. According to multiple reports, the Warriors are trading him to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Chris Paul.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania was first to report on the finalized move.
“Washington and Golden State are close on a trade sending Chris Paul to the Warriors for Jordan Poole, sources tell The Athletic, Stadium,” Charania wrote in a tweet.
Poole’s future with the team was cloudy all year, after he struggled to find consistency throughout the 2022-23 season. His inconsistent play culminated in a playoff collapse, leaving Warriors fans with a horrible taste in their mouths and a desire for his inclusion in a trade.
The fans officially will get their wish, and Golden State will avoid paying out Poole’s four year, $120 million contract extension.
Make no mistake, Poole had played well enough in years past to the lucrative extension, but his 10.3 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game in the playoffs have given the organization good reason to second guess themselves. His struggles efficiency-wise were the most glaring issue, as he made just 34.1% of his attempts from the floor and 25.4% from deep.
Bill Simmons Predicted Warriors-Wizards Trade
Just four days prior to the official deal, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons whipped out the crystal ball and absolutely nailed this one. He pitched the idea to Ryen Russillo on Sunday’s episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” just hours after Paul was traded to Washington in exchange for Bradley Beal, who joined the Phoenix Suns.
“If you’re Golden State, do you feel good about the Jordan Poole contract?” Simmons posed on the June 18 edition of his show. “You have Draymond [Green] you’ve gotta pay … I’ve got Klay Thompson for $40 million. There’s some ‘Kuminga is actually gonna be good this year’ buzz. [Steph] Curry’s contract goes up every year. Like, if I could turn Jordan Poole into a year of Chris Paul and figure out what that looks like … I think that would be really interesting, to watch a true point guard play with Steph.”
Jordan Poole Felt He’d Remain with the Warriors into Next Season
Poole certainly didn’t feel as if he should be traded this summer. He voiced those feelings during an interview, shortly after the Warriors were eliminated from the playoffs.
“I don’t know why I wouldn’t be [back],” Poole told The Ringer’s Logan Murdock. “It wasn’t a bad year. I mean, career highs in two categories. I was able to make history with Klay and Steph. My first game-winner. It was a lot of good things that happened this season. It wasn’t a bad season. Yes, I’m in the fabric. Yes, I belong here in this organization, bridging the gap. And I’m a young guy who was drafted here. We won a championship last year, and we have another chance to do it again. And I don’t know why anybody else would feel otherwise. I don’t think anybody is thinking like that.”
Ultimately, this move could prove to be a beneficial one for Poole. He’ll have plenty of range to play loosely in Washington, likely acting as the team’s No. 1 option. He won’t have any sort of short leash or have to worry about stepping on the toes of veteran stars.
