Getty Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors.
Rumors have been swirling around Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole for the last few weeks. Ever since the Dubs were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers, while Poole struggled to find any sort of consistency, his name has been threaded throughout a blanket of trade rumors.
With rumors come mock trades. The latest of which was penned by Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz. Swartz proposed the following hypothetical deal, which would send Poole to the Toronto Raptors.
Golden State Warriors Receive: F O.G. Anunoby, F/C Thaddeus Young
Toronto Raptors Receive: G Jordan Poole, PG Ryan Rollins, 2023 first-round pick (No. 19 overall)
Being named to the NBA’s All-Defensive second-team in 2022-23, Anunoby’s ability to defend multiple positions has made him a popular mock trade target so far this offseason. It’s something that the Dubs missed during their series against the Lakers. It was so bad that there were moments where Steve Kerr had to roll out Moses Moody in an effort to try and slow down LeBron James, the team just wasn’t deep enough on that end of the floor.
“Anunoby is perhaps the best wing defender in the NBA, joining a frontcourt with Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green that would get this defense back to an elite level,” Swartz wrote. “He also averaged 16.8 points and shot 38.7 percent from three while Young gives Golden State some additional frontcourt depth.”
Like Swartz mentioned, Anunoby has more to offer than just defense. The 25-year-old also put up solid scoring numbers in 67 starts for the Raptors. He averaged 16.8 points per game while shooting 47.6% from the field and 38.7% from beyond the arc.
Jordan Poole Doesn’t See Why Warriors Would Trade Him
The rumblings of a potential departure for Poole grew louder after his poor showing in the playoffs. Poole averaged just 10.3 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game. His efficiency was the real issues, as he made just 34.1% of his attempts from the floor and 25.4% from deep.
Despite the rough spring, the 23-year-old told The Ringer’s Logan Murdock that there’s no reason he shouldn’t be on the roster in the fall.
“I don’t know why I wouldn’t be [back],” Poole told Murdock. “It wasn’t a bad year. I mean, career highs in two categories. I was able to make history with Klay and Steph. My first game-winner. It was a lot of good things that happened this season. It wasn’t a bad season. Yes, I’m in the fabric. Yes, I belong here in this organization, bridging the gap. And I’m a young guy who was drafted here. We won a championship last year, and we have another chance to do it again. And I don’t know why anybody else would feel otherwise. I don’t think anybody is thinking like that.”
Draymond Green’s Punch to Jordan Poole ‘Compromised’ Warriors’ Season
Poole’s struggles likely stemmed from the leak of a video showing him being knocked out by Green in a preseason practice.
Immediately after the team’s elimination from the playoffs, Kerr spoke to reporters and cited the incident to have “compromised” the season.
“[Green] knows that he had a great season this year from a basketball perspective, but he knows that he also compromised things by what happened back in October. So part of him coming back next year has to be about rebuilding some of that trust and respect that he’s earned here for a long period of time,” Kerr said. “One thing I love about Draymond is he’s always brutally honest, and he can take that sort of critique because he knows it’s the truth.”
Here is an extended Steve Kerr perspective on Draymond Green and his future. Said the Warriors are not a title contender if they lose Draymond, but said the preseason punch “compromised” the season.
I’m pretty sure that the Warriors can’t trade their 2023 pick as the 2024 pick goes for the Iggy trade and you can’t trade first-rounders in back-to-back years. As a sports writer, he should know what the rules are!