The Golden State Warriors have struggled for the majority of this season. After winning the NBA Championship last year, they have hovered around the .500 mark all season, failing to make any significant progress past that mark due to their inability to win on the road.
If things fall apart in the postseason and they fail to make a run, they could look at changing up the roster this summer. According to Ben Stinar of Sports Illustrated, the Warriors could potentially look at a swap that would send Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards for big man Kristaps Porzingis.
“For starters, Porzingis is only 27 years old and is one of the tallest players in the NBA at 7’3″…,” Stinar wrote. “He is currently averaging a very impressive 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 blocks per contest in 60 games… The 2018 NBA All-Star is also shooting 48.8% from the field and 37.5% from the three-point range, which makes him one of the best shooters (for a big man) in the entire league… Not only does he fill their lack of size, but his skillset perfectly complements an organization that is known for its elite shooting… Keeping Steph Curry and Klay Thompson off the three-point line is tough for opposing teams, but adding in Porzingis would make them unstoppable.”
As for why the Warriors should consider trading Poole in the deal, outside of the obvious need to match salaries, Stinar doesn’t think Poole can reach his full potential in Golden State.
“With Curry and Thompson on the roster, Poole is never going to be able to become the main guard on the team…,” Stinar wrote. “The former Michigan star would be a massive addition to the Wizards and could play an even bigger role… Both teams could benefit from this hypothetical deal.”
Jordan Poole Could ‘Anchor’ Blockbuster Trade
This isn’t the first time Poole has been brought up as a potential Warriors trade chip for the Warriors. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report also wrote about the idea earlier this season.
“Golden State won’t have the cap space to sign an impact player, but it could swing a major trade if needed,” Buckley wrote. “Is there a possibly available star who might be worth sacrificing Jonathan Kuminga and his sky-high potential? Do opposing teams think they can build an offense around Jordan Poole? If they do, his trade value would be enough to anchor a blockbuster.”
Jordan Poole-Pascal Siakam Trade Idea
Another idea for a Poole trade is a proposal concocted by Heavy Sports that would ship the Warriors star to the Toronto Raptors for star forward Pascal Siakam.
“A trade such as this one would see the Raptors completely blow up their roster in favor of planning for the future,” wrote Heavy Sports. “They could potentially get more picks in a separate deal, but the picks Golden State would be giving up could be very valuable… By the time 2029, or even 2027 rolls around, there’s no telling how good the Warriors will be. Curry will likely be retired by then, and would Siakam even still be on the roster? That’s a risk Toronto could be willing to take… Golden State would have to have some sort of reassurance that Siakam would want to re-sign, as he would be heading into the last year of his deal, but his addition would undoubtedly make them a title team.”