The Washington Wizards continue to be a hot topic as the NBA trade deadline approaches quickly.
Majority of rumors around Washington have consisted of players like Kyle Kuzma, Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon as the ideal candidates for the Wizards to consider moving ahead of the deadline. With contending teams inquiring about Washington's veterans ahead of February, it's clear that general manager Will Dawkins is expected to be active on the trade market.
However, one player that's not often mentioned, but the Wizards may be inclined to trade could be Jordan Poole.
The guard is in the midst of the steep contract extension that he signed with the Golden State Warriors prior to being dealt to Washington in the blockbuster trade that sent Chris Paul to the Warriors.
It would be wise for Washington to offload the Michigan product's contract as they prepare to enter a pivotal offseason of their rebuild where straightening out any financial restrictions could be ideal.
Not to mention that while Poole is an inefficient scorer at times, the 25-year-old has proven that his scoring outbreaks have the potential to lead the Wizards to wins in a season that they should be tanking every game as the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes continue.
That said, a recent trade scenario for Poole could be worth the Wizards listening to if the offer ever came across the table for Will Dawkins.
Jordan Poole dealt to Minnesota in hypothetical swap for Julius Randle
In a recent episode of the 'Game Theory Podcast', the idea of a Wizards-Timberwolves trade centered around Jordan Poole for Julius Randle was discussed. Sure, this deal at first glance may be unrealistic in terms of what each team's need, but when you break down why this deal could make sense for both sides, the pros could outweigh the cons.
For the Timberwolves, Minnesota would be able to acquire a young explosive guard to pair alongside Anthony Edwards that would help alleviate the scoring stress placed on the T-Wolves star. Poole's presence alone would make it difficult for opposing defenses to send double-teams at Edwards which has been a clear frustration for the Georgia product throughout this season.
Poole managed to thrive in his role in Golden State as an off-ball scorer behind Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson which is initially what earned him his huge pay day with the Warriors.
In addition, the Timberwolves would be able to offload Julius Randle who they acquired in the offseason in a blockbuster trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. However, the deal that originally many thought would help elevate Minnesota over the hump, has not panned out like originally expected.
As for the Wizards, this deal would allow them to move off Poole's contract in turn for Julius Randle who has a player option in his lucrative deal this upcoming offseason. With Randle unlikely to pick-up the option on his deal without a trade in place, it could make perfect sense for the Wizards to make this deal.
Randle could serve as a veteran to mentor the team's young roster, a value that head coach Brian Keefe and Washington's front office clearly values considering the offseason move to bring in Jonas Valanciunas.
Furthermore, Randle would keep them competitive, but his fit on the roster may still push the team to lose just as many, if not more games with the Kentucky product than with Poole in a year that losing may be the biggest asset to their rebuild.