Following a blockbuster move that saw Chris Paul find his way to the Golden State Warriors and Jordan Poole land with the Washington Wizards, similarities to former NBA megastars are starting to pop up.
While the rising star is by no means guaranteed to become the players he will soon be compared to, it would be incredible to see.
Jordan Poole’s trade scenario is almost the exact same as James Harden’s
A high scoring sixth man traded from a contender to a rebuilding team in an effort to save money while also wearing the number 13 and rocking a beard. James Harden and Jordan Poole both fit that sentence now.
Harden was initially traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder over a disagreement of around five million dollars. He landed in Houston and exploded into one of the greatest scorers in the history of the league, winning MVP along the way.
Poole was given a monstrous contract extension by the Golden State Warriors. However, after a rough 2022-’23 campaign, he was quickly put on the trade block to save some money. This was largely due to the historic amount of money that the Warriors are already spending before the extension (as well as the new CBA and subsequent first and second apron) even kicks in.
While he isn’t likely to reach the heights James Harden did, he very well could become the modern-day version of the next player.
Jordan Poole is also in a similar boat to Gilbert Arenas
Both 18+ point per game scorers on low efficiency for the Golden State Warriors, Poole and Arenas both go from the Bay Area to the DMV on seemingly inflated contracts with the potential to transform the franchise.
Both also have reported maturity issues behind the scenes. Although, with Poole, much of the context surrounding his particular circumstances are unknown.
In addition, he is joining multiple young forwards on the Wizards, further mirroring Arenas’ entrance to the franchise.
Becoming the second coming of Gilbert Arenas seems incredibly possible for Jordan Poole and it would be great for the franchise.
If Jordan Poole can become either one of these two superstars, however unlikely it is, it would not only give the Washington Wizards a strong future, but it would also solidify the trade as a definitive Wizards win.