In what some saw as an inevitable move after the altercation with Draymond Green, the Golden State Warriors traded guard Jordan Poole last week.
Poole, 25, was traded to the Washington Wizards for 12-time All-Star Chris Paul on NBA Draft day. Superstar Steph Curry recently wrapped up his 14th NBA season, and he’s certainly seen his fair share of teammates depart.
However, seeing a young player leave seemed to serve as a reminder of the business side of sports.
“Business is crazy,” Curry told The Athletic. “We all know that. If you had asked us six months ago if this was something that could happen, the answer probably would have been no just based on where we were. Then you get to summer and you’re trying to find ways to get it done.” better and put yourself in a position to chase another championship.”
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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, #30, and Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole, #3, watch the Warriors loss against the Los Angeles Lakers in the final 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 acknowledged that even though Paul is now 38, he believes the addition of the veteran point guard should help the Warriors win.
“Every team CP has been on gets better. That’s the most consistent thing about him and who he is and what he brings to the team. Everyone is going to talk about age. It’s up to us to put all of that together and figure out how all the pieces work “.
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However, Curry did not take Poole’s departure lightly.
“You hate losing JP,” Curry said. “I know it’s not quite official yet. So I don’t want to talk too much before it is. But that’s the hard part of the business, watching a young man walk into his own [and then get traded]. It is a great opportunity for him. It’s just that you meet someone like that, you build a friendship, you 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 a first round playoff series in NBA basketball 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 before the start of the 2022-23 regular season when video leaked of a punch Green threw at Poole in a Warriors practice.
The now infamous altercation became a point of contention throughout the season. Green said the hit he 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 that would start the next season. It was also unclear how Poole, who was once viewed as Curry’s heir apparent, would 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 an NBA game at the Footprint Center on October 25, 2022 in Phoenix. The Suns defeated the Warriors 134-105. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Paul wants to win now and expressed his excitement about playing for the Warriors as he continues to chase the first championship of his long career.
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“We’ve known each other for a long, long time, man,” Paul told ESPN’s Malika Andrews of Curry.
“So I’m excited to have the chance to play alongside him, Klay. [Thompson], [Andrew Wiggins]dramond [Green], all of them. They have an amazing organization. That team is just… they’ve been playing together for a while and they know what they’re doing.”
