The Washington Wizards were a part of one of the biggest transactions of this past NBA offseason. They had the rights to point guard Chris Paul after the Bradley Beal trade, but used him as trade bait in order to acquire a player who had up-and-coming star potential. But through the first ten games of the season, Jordan Poole has seen his numbers dip across the board, and there are reports that the Wizards may not view him as a long-term member of their roster.
NBA: Jordan Poole May Not Be Around For Very Long In Washington
Jordan Poole 😂😂😂
(via @The_BTC_Classic / h/t @overtime )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 13, 2023
Playing behind Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in Golden State, Poole was able to flourish. He averaged a career-high 20.4 points per game last season after putting up 18.5 the year prior, and was viewed as the player that would eventually take the torch from the Splash Brothers and be the future face of the Warriors’ franchise.
But due to the infamous training camp sucker punch by Draymond Green, Poole’s career in Golden State was cut short. He would get a fresh start with the Wizards, and along with Kyle Kuzma would be one of the top two scoring options on the team.
The maturity and commitment issues that Poole has previously been labeled with have come to light in a big way early on in the 2023-24 NBA season. There have been more than a handful of on-court blunders and lowlights through the first ten games, including an off-the-backboard alley-oop between him and Kuzma to cut an Atlanta Hawks lead down to 19.
Perhaps the most telling video of all was a clip taken by a fan. It shows Poole paying little attention to a play call during a timeout call while his teammates attempt to get his attention. When the huddle breaks, Poole is seen asking the coach what the play is and taking a couple quick peeks at the white board that he was previously not paying attention to.
Poole’s Contract Has An Expensive Price Tag
Jordan Poole this season:
6/16 FG vs Toronto (-12)
5/12 FG vs Brooklyn (-22)
6/14 FG vs Charlotte (-17)
3/12 FG vs Charlotte (-5)
8/15 FG vs Philadelphia (-4)
8/14 FG vs Miami (-21)
5/13 FG vs Atlanta (-22)
5/11 FG vs Boston (-29)
8/23 FG vs Memphis (+13)
7/18 FG vs Indiana… pic.twitter.com/lpGVumRwD2— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 14, 2023
According to a report from NBA insider Marc Stein, the Wizards could view Poole more as a potential piece in a fear-future trade than a franchise cornerstone. One of the reasons that Golden State parted ways with the young guard was his 4-year, $123 million price tag, and Washington will find themselves handcuffed if they continue to pay a player who so far has a -21.7 net rating.
We are still scratching the surface of the 2023-24 NBA season, and there is plenty of time for a turnaround. But even the most recent result from the Wizards is a cause for concern, as they blew a 23-point second-half lead against the Raptors on Monday to drop their record to 2-8.
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