The Warriors were involved in one of the most surprising trades of the NBA offseason.
Following their loss to the Lakers in the playoffs, the Warriors decided they needed more experience and dealt Jordan Poole to the Wizards in a package for Chris Paul.
Poole had become a big part of the Warriors. He played an important role off the bench in their 2022 championship and was the team's third-leading scorer in 2022-23 with an average of 20.4 points per game. Golden State even made a big commitment to him with a four-year, $128.0 million extension.
What was the motivation behind trading Poole? Here's why the Warriors moved on from the explosive scorer.
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Why did the Warriors trade Jordan Poole?
Warriors owner Joe Lacob told Madeline Kenney of The Mercury News that they were motivated to make a change following the 2022-23 season, which saw the team fall short of expectations.
There are a number of reasons the Warriors lost to the Lakers in the second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, but Draymond Green took on some of the responsibility. After Golden State was eliminated, Green told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that him punching Poole in a preseason practice negatively impacted the team's season.
"Because the voice that I am, the departments that I lead this team in, there was a ton of slippage due to me sitting back," Green said. "Me not saying anything. Me trying to allow that situation to play itself out and giving it time to heal.
"But while you're giving it all of that time, guess what? I would say probably about February, I started to feel like myself again and speak more, but guess what? Those five months of the season where slippage has just been occurring. And by February, if that slippage has been going on that long, you are who you are at that point. You've built those habits. You've built bad habits. That is who you are now.
"So to try to correct them then, OK, you may get a little better — we did, we ended up in the second round of the playoffs — but not at a championship level."
Trading Poole for Paul gave the Warriors a fresh start without taking a step back. While Poole, 24, is younger and a more explosive scorer, Paul, 38, brings a wealth of experience and a steadier hand at the guard position. Paul also has the potential to be more reliable for them in the playoffs. Poole helped the Warriors win the championship in 2022, but he struggled in the 2023 NBA Playoffs and saw his role greatly reduced.
The Poole trade helped the Warriors financially as well.
The Warriors have Curry, Green and Andrew Wiggins on long-term deals. Klay Thompson could soon join them, as he has only one year remaining on his current contract. Poole and Paul will make a similar amount of money in the 2023-24 season, but Poole is under contract through the 2026-27 season whereas Paul has a non-guarantee in his contract for the 2024-25 season, making him a potential free agent.
The Warriors are hoping to be below the punitive second apron next offseason. Not having Poole's contract on their books will give them a better shot at doing that, even if they re-sign Thompson.
Jordan Poole contract details
Poole signed a four-year, $128.0 million extension with the Warriors prior to the 2022-23 season. His contract doesn't include any options, setting him up to be an unrestricted free agent following the 2026-27 season.
| Season | Salary |
| 2023-24 | $27,455,357 |
| 2024-25 | $29,651,786 |
| 2025-26 | $31,848,215 |
| 2026-27 | $34,044,642 |
