Wiz of Awes
Fansided

Washington Wizards: Grading every offseason move

By Cem Yolbulan

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 13: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket against Jordan Poole #3 of the Golden State Warriors in the third quarter at Chase Center on February 13, 2023 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 13: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket against Jordan Poole #3 of the Golden State Warriors in the third quarter at Chase Center on February 13, 2023 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

The Jordan Poole trade

Grade: A

After acquiring Chris Paul in the Bradley Beal trade, the Washington Wizards immediately moved him to the Golden State Warriors in a blockbuster deal. In a trade that caught the NBA world by surprise, the Washington Wizards acquired Jordan Poole, Ryan Rollins, and Patrick Baldwin Jr. along with a 2030 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick from Golden State Warriors in exchange for Paul.

This is a great return for a player the Wizards were never going to hold on to. Paul, at age 38 and on a $30 million salary for next season, just didn’t make sense in Washington. Getting anything of value in return would have been a huge victory for the Wizards, let alone Jordan Poole and a first-round pick.

Poole may be overpaid but he is a young and valuable scoring guard with a lot of offensive upside. Baldwin Jr was a first-round pick just a season ago, and Rollins was considered to be one of the steals of the draft. Adding two promising talents for the cheap is great value for Washington.

On top of it all, the Warriors’ 2030 first-rounder can hold a lot of value too. It’s not clear where the franchise will be seven years from now, but adding a first-round pick with lottery upside is an excellent asset grab.

Poole has a chance to revive his value around the league, and if he does, he can either be a long-term key piece in Washington or be traded for even more positive value.

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