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In a shocking turn of events, Jordan Poole finds himself on his way to a new team. He joins the list of players who have been moved in the days leading up to the 2023 NBA Draft.
According to reports, the Golden State Warriors are sending Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Chris Paul. Along with the young guard, the Warriors are also shipping out a pair of future draft picks and former second-round pick Ryan Rollins.
After reports of him being waived by the Phoenix Suns, Chris Paul was sent to Washington in the Bradley Beal blockbuster deal. Not long after that trade became official, news started coming out that the All-Star point guard could be re-routed. Now, he finds himself alongside Steph Curry with a chance to compete for a championship.
For Poole, this gives him a bigger opportunity to grow his game. Following their array of moves, the Wizards are in search of who will be "the guy" moving forward. As a former champion, Poole can now prove if he has what it takes to be a top guy. The 24-year-old played in all 82 games last season and averaged 20.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
Jordan Poole trade gives the Golden State Warriors flexibility
One reason why the Golden State Warriors might have moved Jordan Poole is to get off his contract. Next season, he will begin the four-year, $128 million deal he signed last offseason.
With this contract off the books, the Warriors are now in a position to keep one of their core players. Earlier this week, Draymond Green decided to decline his player option and became an unrestricted free agent. As a pillar of its dynasty, Golden State might want to keep the trio of Green, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson together.
Washington has caught a lot of slack for how it has handled its trades, but now it has a promising piece for the future. Armed with cap space and assets, the Wizards have a core piece for the next phase of the franchise.
Earlier this offseason, the Warriors were intent on keeping Poole and Green on the team. Despite their altercation in training camp last year, the organization believed the team could move past it. Following this trade, it is something it no longer has to worry about.
