During an interview with NBA writer Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. talked about the Jordan Poole trade. The Warriors traded Poole to the Washington Wizards for Chris Paul.
Warriors power forward Draymond Green punched Poole in the face before the 2022-23 season started. Dunleavy Jr. told Kawakami that money and Poole’s relationship with Green both played a part in the Warriors’ decision to trade the Michigan product to the Wizards for Paul.
“I can’t say that’s not an argument,” Dunleavy Jr. said about the dynamic between Green and Poole on the Warriors. “Can make a good point about that. I think the biggest thing really is just financially we’re in a position where we had to make some decisions. I think we were able to make a decision where we could free some of that while also still being highly competitive and having a chance to win a championship. It just ended up having to be a decision we had to make and so be it.
“At the same time, we needed to get Draymond back (on the Warriors), what he brings to this team and what he has meant for the last 10 years. That’s going to keep going. That matters. So we prioritized that. And from there, we knew … another contract probably needed to be moved. And Jordan ended up being that one. But we feel like getting a player back of Chris Paul’s caliber can negate that in some ways or pick up that slack, It’s kind of the business that we do. And we’re in a good spot.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jordan Poole, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Golden State Warriors & Washington Wizards Updates
Poole signed a four-year, $128 million extension with the Warriors in October 2022. The extension kicks in next season. The shooting guard averaged a career-high 20.4 points for the Warriors last season while shooting 43.0% from the field, 33.6% from beyond the arc and 87.0% from the free-throw line.
However, Poole wasn’t able to carry over his regular-season success to the 2023 NBA postseason. In 13 playoff games versus the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers, Poole averaged 10.3 points while shooting an inefficient 34.1% overall and 25.4% from 3-point range. The Warriors lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals in six games.
According to Kawakami, the Warriors thought Poole was an “extraneous” and “inefficient” member of their roster, which is why they traded him to the Wizards for Paul.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jordan Poole, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Golden State Warriors & Washington Wizards Updates
Poole and Kyle Kuzma are the best players on the Wizards, while the Warriors will likely start Paul, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Green next season. It will be interesting to see if Poole and Green shake hands when Washington and Golden State face each other.
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