Not so long ago, the Golden State Warriors made us all think that Jordan Poole was going to be their star for the future, signing him to a big contract extension right after the NBA Finals.
That didnât last long, as Poole was a constant talking point â for the wrong reasons â this season, looking sluggish and uncoachable in the playoffs and failing to build from that career-best campaign.
According to a report by Mike Battaglino of AHN Fire Digital, that wasnât much of a surprise for Steve Kerr and company. Apparently, the Warriors traded him for Chris Paul because they didnât feel he was an actual fit for their roster.
Warriors Considered Jordan Poole An âExtraneous And Inefficientâ Player
âWhatâs clear to me after a few days of checking around is that this all began when the Warriors decided that Jordan Poole was an extraneous and inefficient member of their roster,â wrote Battaglino.
âThat was the precipitating issue. The Warriors wanted out of the $123 million deal they gave Poole only eight months earlier because his play last season didnât meet that value, especially given their extreme luxury-tax pressure,â the report added. âThey knew he wanted a bigger role and they knew that almost certainly wouldnât happen as long as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were on the team. The Warriors werenât going to give Poole away, but they were ready to move on if the right deal came along.â
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NBA News: Stephen Curry losing another Warriors teammate apart from Jordan Poole
Of course, one could wonder if the deal they got for him was the right deal, but thatâs a whole different debate. Whatever the case, heâll now be free to take as many shots as he wants and might even lead the league in scoring, and the Warriors can now build the roster with players who fit their scheme better.
