In what some viewed as an inevitable move following the altercation with Draymond Green, the Golden State Warriors traded guard Jordan Poole last week.
The 25-year-old Poole was sent to the Washington Wizards in exchange for 12-time All-Star Chris Paul on the day of the NBA Draft. Superstar Steph Curry recently wrapped up his 14th season in the NBA, and he has certainly experienced his fair share of teammates leaving.
However, seeing a young player depart seemed to serve as a reminder of the business side of sports.
“The business is crazy,” Curry told The Athletic. “We all know that. If you asked us six months ago if this was something that could happen, the answer probably would’ve been no just based on where we were. Then you get to the summer and are trying to find ways to get better and put yourself in position to chase another championship.”
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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, #30, and Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole, #3, look on as the Warriors loss against the Los Angeles Lakers in the last minute of the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (Photo by Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)
Curry did acknowledge that although Paul is now 38, he believes that the addition of the veteran point guard should help the Warriors win.
“Every team that CP has been on gets better. That’s the most consistent thing on him and who he is and what he brings to the team. Everybody’s going to talk about the age. It’s on us to put that all together and figure out how all the pieces work.”
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However, Curry did not take Poole’s exit lightly.
“You hate losing JP,” Curry said. “I know it’s not all the way official yet. So I don’t want to talk too much before it is. But that’s the tough part of the business, seeing a young guy come into his own [and then get traded]. It’s a great opportunity for him. It’s just you get to know someone like that, build a friendship, build a bond.”
Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole, left, is congratulated by guard Stephen Curry, #30, after scoring against the Denver Nuggets during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in San Francisco on Saturday, April 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
The Warriors’ decision to part ways with Poole was multifaceted.
Poole and Green made headlines prior to the start of the 2022-23 regular season when video was leaked of a punch being thrown at Poole by Green at a Warriors practice.
The now-infamous altercation became a point of contention throughout the season. Green said the punch ultimately contributed to Golden State’s playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Poole’s large salary only seemed to further complicate his situation in Golden State. In October, the Warriors signed Poole to a massive four-year contract extension which was set to kick in next season. It was also unclear how Poole, who was once viewed as the heir apparent to Curry, fit into Golden State’s future plans.
Jordan Poole, #3 of the Golden State Warriors, handles the ball against Chris Paul, #3 of the Phoenix Suns, during the second half of the NBA game at Footprint Center on Oct. 25, 2022 in Phoenix. The Suns defeated the Warriors 134-105. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Paul wants to win now, and he expressed excitement about playing with the Warriors as he continues to chase the first championship of his lengthy career.
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“We’ve known each other for a very, very long time, man,” Paul told ESPN’s Malika Andrews about Curry.
“So I’m excited to get a chance to play alongside him, Klay [Thompson], [Andrew Wiggins], Draymond [Green], all of them. They’ve got an unbelievable organization. That team is just — they’ve been playing together for a while, and they know what they’re doing.”
