After Jordan Poole blossomed into a key player for the Warriors and helped them win a championship in the 2022 NBA Finals, he seemed like the beacon for the Golden State Warriors’ continued success. However, tensions arose due to Poole’s issue with Draymond Green and his subpar showing in the 2023 NBA playoffs.
Coming off the recent playoffs with averages of 10.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists on a 34.1% shooting percentage, the 24-year-old offensive talent was sent to the Washington Wizards for veteran point guard Chris Paul. While a trade involving Poole was anticipated, nobody predicted a deal with CP3.
Several basketball pundits are on the fence about the trade decision. While some believe the Warriors should have retained Poole or pursued a younger talent, others see the logic behind the move.
Mike Dunleavy Jr, the newly-appointed general manager of the Warriors, recently provided clarity on the trade. He expressed that swapping their up-and-coming guard for a seasoned point guard like Paul was an easy decision, projecting it to bolster the team’s performance.
Per ClutchPoints:
“Honestly, in a lot of ways, it was an easy move because I felt it would make our team better, and it gave us a decent amount of flexibility going forward, so to me it wasn’t that tough,” Dunleavy told Monte Poole and Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “…To have an opportunity to address some needs and clear up some financial relief, for me, honestly, didn’t lose much sleep over that one.”
