- The Golden State Warriors sent Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards in a deal that landed them Chris Paul
- Jordan Poole is a 24-year-old rising star while Chris Paul is 38 years old and seemingly in decline
- Mike Dunleavy Jr. has claimed that despite this, it was an easy decision for them to make the trade happen
The Golden State Warriors are going into the 2023-24 season with Chris Paul on the roster. It sounds bizarre to say, but the franchise has seemed quite optimistic about their decision to trade Jordan Poole in the deal that landed them the 38-year-old.
The Washington Wizards received Jordan Poole, Patrick Baldwin Jr., Ryan Rollins, a first-round draft pick, and a second-round draft pick in the deal. While many have questioned the decision, General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has made some bold claims about it.
“I always say for me the decision to (trade for) Chris was easy,” Dunleavy Jr. told The Athletic. “I hated having to give up Jordan, who has been such a big part of what we’ve done the last few years. I was here when we drafted him.
“But in terms of basketball and moving forward, financial flexibility, all that stuff you factor in, it was a relatively easy decision for us.”
The move seems bizarre, but it does make sense contractually. The Warriors will be able to move on from Chris Paul’s $30 million-a-year contract as soon as next year. Jordan Poole is locked in for four more seasons, also making $32 million per year on average. This move gives the Warriors a lot of flexibility moving forward.
The Golden State Warriors Might Regret This Trade
On paper, it makes total sense to get rid of Jordan Poole, who had locker room problems, and replace him with a veteran like Chris Paul. The Warriors seem to think that Paul can potentially unlock a few of their bigger players as well.
But he has been in decline the last couple of seasons and only averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in 2022-23. Furthermore, he will expect to be a starter, and his fit with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson remains to be determined.
On the other hand, Jordan Poole has a new lease on life. He averaged 20.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game last season. If he can rediscover and develop the talent he has, the Warriors might regret letting him walk for essentially a short rental on a very old Chris Paul.
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