5. Traded Chris Paul for Jordan Poole
Traded Chris Paul, No. 57 pick to Golden State Warriors for Jordan Poole, Ryan Rollins, Patrick Baldwin Jr., second-round pick, and protected first-round pick.
Chris Paul was not in the nation’s capital for long. Before the trade to bring Paul to Washington was even officially completed, the Wizards worked out a subsequent deal to move CP3 on to San Francisco.
In return, the Wizards got a lofty haul. Jordan Poole was the centerpiece, an on-ball scoring maestro who has learned from Stephen Curry for the past four seasons. His value is at a nadir after a shaky postseason run, and with his new, lucrative extension kicking in the Warriors didn’t want his value to continue spiraling down to the point that they couldn’t move him.
Poole might turn out to be an inefficient, turnover-prone mess of a lead guard…or he could rebound and become something closer, or even better than, the player he was during the Warriors’ title run in 2022. The Wizards added Poole as something of a salary dump and could have a fringe All-Star on their hands this time next year.
The downside, of course, is that Poole does fizzle out and the Wizards are stuck with the rest of his contract. That’s on the table, and they didn’t receive much protection against that eventuality; the 2030 first they got is protected 1-20 and then disappears, making it a low-ceiling bet for Washington.
The rest of the deal is fine but unspectacular. Ryan Rollins was an intriguing pick in the 2022 second round but has dealt with a foot injury for most of his year-long career. They swapped the No. 57 pick for Patrick Baldwin Jr. in a deal that was technically separate but functionally part of the same transaction; that was a nice move, as “PBJ” used to be a top prospect and has a smooth jump shot. This was a fine move, but the book is yet to be written on it.
Grade: B-