The Golden State Warriors won the 2022 championship against the Boston Celtics, and there’s no doubt that this was truly a team win. Though superstar Stephen Curry was at the forefront of everything, the Golden State Warriors got contributions from around the roster, including from players such as Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole.
As of right now, the Golden State Warriors are in Japan for their preseason. Obviously, Japan is a fantastic country for foreign visitors, with plenty of things to do. A recent video surfaced, which featured Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins enjoying their time at a hedgehog cafe.
Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, and the hedgehogs. pic.twitter.com/SEnTllThwu
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) October 1, 2022
It looked as though the two Warriors players were having fun, and it is understandable. Hedgehogs are definitely cute and appealing animals, and it is not every day one gets to pet a hedgehog and see it up close.
The Warriors Will Have To Make Some Decisions On Andrew Wiggins And Jordan Poole
Both Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole will be free agents at the end of the 2023 season. There is no doubt that the optimal decision for the Golden State Warriors would be to retain both players, though their luxury tax situation could end up complicating that.
An NBA executive has previously suggested that Andrew Wiggins wants to stay with the Golden State Warriors, but noted that Jordan Poole’s future with the team could depend on “how they handle his contract”.
“Wiggins is like the opposite version of Harrison Barnes, where Barnes won rings early, then wanted to get a bigger role and be the star. He got to do that for some bad teams and now it is, ‘Jeez, I wish I was winning again.’ Wiggins is going the opposite way. He’s pretty well set on staying with the Warriors, if they can pay him,” a Western Conference executive told Deveney.
That same source spoke to Deveney about Poole. He said that while Wiggins is the opposite of Barnes, Poole is the same. At just 23 years old, Poole might be itching to leave the Warriors in favor of having a larger role elsewhere.
“Poole, though, could have some [Harrison] Barnes in him,” the executive explained. “He got to show what he can do a bit when everyone was hurt and the team was bad, but he got pushed back within the team once Klay was healthy and everyone was talking about Wiggins and all. It depends on how they handle this contract. But if he gets the sense they do not want him, yeah, he is the one I could imagine looking elsewhere, like Barnes did. Of course, they replaced Barnes with Durant. Maybe they’ll do the same with Poole.”
Hopefully, we see the Golden State Warriors retain both players. There’s no doubt that Andrew Wiggins’ two-way play and Jordan Poole’s shot creation in the bench unit are both extremely valuable to the Warriors.
As of right now, though, it is quite likely that the two players are getting ready for a strong season with the Warriors. The team is focused on repeating as champions, with Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole set to play key roles in that pursuit.
