Jordan Poole’s path back to the Warriors is not a trade deadline story. It’s a free agency story.
After Monday’s game against Golden State, Poole made it clear a reunion was on his mind, and Sam Amick of The Athletic described it Friday as “openly campaigning for a reunion.” But the timing and the money make a deal now feel out of reach.
Poole is on an expiring contract, and the Pelicans would likely be willing to move him. Even so, his $34 million salary makes a Warriors trade extremely difficult to picture, especially with Golden State already having $20 million in salary sitting there with Kristaps Porzingis. A move would also require the Warriors to send out Moses Moody and another small salary, and that’s a steep price for a player who is collecting DNPs on a lottery-bound team and shooting under 30% from the floor in the limited minutes he’s getting.
There’s also the fit. Poole would be the fifth guard in the rotation, and while Golden State could use more shot creation with Stephen Curry and Brandon Williams dealing with injury issues, a healthy Warriors group would have Poole parked on the bench for long stretches.
That’s why a trade doesn’t look like the answer, and why it’s hard to see another team lining up for him unless the goal is to unload a worse contract with multiple years left. Maybe that changes if Poole gets a bigger chance after Dejounte Murray’s exit from the New Orleans Pelicans, but from what was seen and heard against the Warriors earlier in the week, the answer would appear to be no.
The cleaner route is next summer. If Poole is willing to take the minimum, a reunion starts to make sense. He talked about how players are often helped or hurt by their situation, and Golden State - along with other teams - can look at his age and still see a sixth man who could be productive in the right setting.
The Warriors already know what Poole can do in their system. That gives them a chance to buy low on him with a cheap contract once free agency arrives.
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