Jordan Poole Has a Prime Opportunity With the Washington Wizards

Jun 29

A new age of Wizards basketball has arrived as young, electric guard Jordan Poole will now take over the reins in Washington as the lead guard. Poole and new backcourt partner Tyus Jones should form an intriguing duo, while young studs Deni Avdija, Cory Kispert, and Johnny Davis will step into larger roles with more responsibilities. The Wizards’ success will largely be based on how Avdija, Kispert, and Davis develop, but Jordan Poole will be the catalyst toward a full retool for the Wizards organization. His flashy style of play combined with his microwave shooting should bring some fresh excitement to the Wizards’ fanbase. Their front office made a genius move flipping Chris Paul for Jordan Poole and other young assets and draft picks, so now it’s time to usher in the Jordan Poole era in Washington.

What Does Jordan Poole Bring to Washington?

First of all, Jordan Poole will come in right away and take over Bradley Beal’s starting spot at the two-guard position. Poole’s impact on the Wizards will be felt right away as he already averaged over 20 points per game (PPG) and four assists in a sixth-man role while playing behind the greatest shooting backcourt ever in Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The possibilities are endless with what Poole might average next season, and it wouldn’t be unrealistic to see him put up over 25 PPG and five assists in 2024. He’ll have the opportunity and the green light to play how he wants, so an all-star appearance and a Most Improved Player (MIP) candidacy are possible outcomes. Poole also brings a healthy dose of playoff and championship experience to this young Wizards squad, and even though Poole just turned 25 years old, he can be a valuable leader in the locker room and on the court.

The Daunting Second Apron: Why the Warriors Ultimately Traded Poole

The incident between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole in the 2022 preseason created some locker room and trust issues with the Warriors that never went away last season. It was inevitable that one of them might be going, and given Poole’s inefficiencies and his massive contract that will start this upcoming season, he was the guy to go. If the Warriors decided to keep Jordan Poole, they would have been in the second apron, a new tax threshold in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that goes into effect next summer and severely punishes big-spending teams like the Warriors. This would have limited them significantly, as because of the Warriors’ crazy spending they wouldn’t have been able to sign players from the buyout market or use their mid-level exception, two means by which championship-caliber teams normally fill out their roster in the offseason. The Warriors also wouldn’t have been allowed to combine salaries in any possible trades (like the one they just made for Poole) and would have only been allowed to use veteran’s minimum contracts to complete their roster. The tax burden and looming penalties seemed to be too much for Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber. For the Warriors Chris Paul’s current deal is an expiring contract, so the Warriors can eliminate $30 million in salary off their books for the 2025 season if they don’t pick up his non-guaranteed option. Paul is the perfect backup point guard that will provide some needed stability for the Warriors to make a 2024 championship run. On the other hand, Poole will have a golden opportunity to thrive as a lead ball-handler with the Wizards and take that next leap into a perennial all-star. Poole’s championship experience will help the Wizards’ younger players, and considering Poole reached out to Wizards’ rookie Bilal Coulibaly shortly after he was drafted, Poole will no doubt make a big splash on his new team.