Expendable: Jordan Poole
The Washington Wizards’ star acquisition of the offseason has failed to live up to the expectations with his play through the first 19 games of the season. In fact, he has arguably been the most disappointing player in the entire league.
Poole’s defensive shortcomings were well-documented coming into the season. No one was expecting him to be a defensive stopper. Yet, his lack of intensity and effort on that end has still been disappointing. The main source of disappointment for the Wizards fans and organization, however, has been his offense. Not only is he not making any shots, but he is also struggling to create good looks for himself and others. He is having one of the least-efficient seasons among high-volume players in the NBA.
This is a disastrous combination for any team. An all-offense player who isn’t even doing the things he is supposed to be good at is hard to justify keeping around. Especially if he is taking shots away from your other young players such as Bilal Coulibaly and Deni Avdija.
There is an argument to be made for the fact that if the Wizards were to trade Poole, they would be doing so in the nadir of his trade value. They may have to attach picks or other players just to get off of his four-year, $128 million contract. This is a risky proposition for a rebuilding team.
Yet, keeping him around carries its own risks. There is no guarantee that Poole will start playing better and rehabilitate his trade value. If he were to continue on his current path, his contract would be an albatross that the Wizards simply can’t move. There may be a benefit to moving on from him while you can to avoid getting stuck with an unmovable contract.