7 Harsh realities of the Golden State Warriors offseason
By Cal Durrett
Harsh Reality #7: The Warriors traded Jordan Poole too soon.
The decision by the Warriors to trade Jordan Poole in a deal for future Hall of Famer Chris Paul sent shockwaves around the league in the leadup to the NBA Draft. Although a salary-clearing trade was necessary given the team’s luxury tax situation, it drew mixed reviews from many, including myself. I’m not saying that Golden State should not have dealt Poole, but they sold on him too soon.
After acquiring Paul from the Phoenix Suns in the Bradley Beal deal, the Washington Wizards jumped at the chance to trade him to the Warriors. That meant taking back Poole, who is starting a four-year, $128 million deal and had an uneven 2022–23 season and a disastrous playoff run. That likely meant that the Warriors had to pay to find a team willing to take him off their hands and pay they did.
They included former 2022 first-round pick Patrick Baldwin Jr., a second-round pick, a top-20 protected future first-round pick, and Ryan Rollins. However, had they waited closer to the trade deadline, Poole might have improved his trade value enough not to be a negative asset for Golden State. That might have been untenable with Poole’s relationship with Draymond Green, but even then, trading that for Paul probably wasn’t their only option and perhaps not their best one given his questionable fit.