Numerous players deserve credit for helping the Golden State Warriors get things back on track this NBA season. After missing the playoffs the last two years, the Warriors are once again looking like contenders this season.
One of the players who has played a part in the team’s success this season is Jordan Poole. Poole was selected with the 28th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and things got off to a rough start.
During his rookie season, Poole was one of the least efficient shooters in the NBA. He made major strides in his second season in the league and is now a key part of the Warriors’ rotation in his third season.
Poole is averaging a career-high 16.4 points per game and is leading the league in free-throw shooting percentage at 92.2 percent. He is making a career-high 43.8 percent of his shots overall, but is still a little inconsistent from the 3-point line, making only 33.8 percent of his attempts from distance.
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In addition to the scoring, Jordan Poole is grabbing 3.1 rebounds and handing out 3.5 assists per game, which are also career-highs. He was excellent in the starting lineup to start the season as the team awaited Klay Thompson to return to the lineup. As a starter, Poole is averaging 18.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 31.1 minutes per game.
With Thompson’s impending return, Steve Kerr moved Poole to the second unit to begin adjusting to his new role as the sixth man. His numbers drop slightly with the second unit, as he averages 12.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, but his true shooting percentage increases from 57.8 percent to 59 percent.
While he is still reacclimating himself to the sixth man role, it is clear that Poole has cemented himself as part of the team’s foundation. This offseason he is eligible for a contract extension and he is projected to cash in big-time so that the Golden State Warriors can avoid him hitting restricted free agency in 2023.
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“The Warriors also will try to sign Poole to a multiyear extension this summer, which would allow them to avoid having to deal with him in restricted free agency in 2023. Keith Smith, a salary-cap expert for Spotrac, estimates that deal to be in the four-year, $80 million range.”
At first glance, that is an eye-popping number. It is hard to imagine Poole landing a contract that pays him $20 million annually on average. There are only 55 players that currently make $20 million or more.
Granted, some of those players are a bit overpaid. But, it would be hard to argue against Poole also falling into the overpaid list should he land a contract of that size. He is a nice player, but to be paid among the top 12-13 percent of players in the league sounds like a bit of a stretch for him.
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But, it is easy to understand why the Golden State Warriors would make such a move. Given how much money they are committing to other players on the roster, they will likely not have cap space to spend. They know what they are getting from Jordan Poole and he has improved each season he has been in the league. If he continues on that trajectory, he could be a player worth paying $20 million annually for.
