The Washington Wizards came out of the 2024 NBA Draft with one of the best hauls in the league. They landed a bunch of great pieces that could be around in Washington for a long time.
With the second-overall pick, they selected French big man Alex Sarr, who projects to be one of the most impressive defensive players in the class.
At pick No. 14, the Wizards used a pick they got back from the Portland Trail Blazers in the Deni Avdija trade to select Pittsburgh guard Bub Carrington, who is a young, intriguing shot-creator.
Then, with the 24th pick, they jumped back up in the draft to pick Miami wing Kyshawn George, who will enter the Wizards’ rotation as an NBA-ready three-point shooter.
With all three of those guys, plus Bilal Coulibaly, ready to come into Washington and build something special, there is one clear loser—Jordan Poole.
Jordan Poole is the biggest loser of the Wizards amazing 2024 NBA Draft
After joining the Wizards last summer, Poole had an absolutely terrible season this past year. He was turnover-prone, inefficient, and from the outside looking in, not great vibes.
But now, it looks like the Wizards are trying very hard to develop a clear identity and core moving forward. It would be hard to imagine Poole being a big part of that plan.
Carrington should get a ton of reps at the point guard position, as the Wizards need to focus on developing him as best as possible, which means Poole should be bumped back in the rotation.
And realistically speaking, if the Wizards want to put all of their rookies in the best position to succeed, trading Poole (and the potential poor on-court decisions that come with him) could be a smart move.
Poole actually ended the year on a fine note for the Wizards, so maybe he can turn things around next year. Maybe he could be a piece Washington hangs onto in hopes of reviving his career, so to speak.
However, Washington had a very obvious plan going into this draft, and it was to build a core they feel comfortable with heading into the future.
And considering they drafted a point guard and a wing, Poole probably isn’t a huge part of the picture.