Is Jordan Poole a Core Piece for the Golden State Warriors?

Jordan Poole represents the Golden State Warriors' attempt to walk two divergent paths.

He hasn't helped enough in the quest to repeat during the NBA playoffs, with the Warriors down 3-1 to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals. Poole was sharper in the series opener (21 points) but has contributed 11 total points since, including a scoreless Game 4.

And at almost 24 years old, Poole should be the face of the youth movement the Warriors have tried to build in parallel to their championship aspirations. That's already fallen flat, with 2020 No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman shipped off in a trade to the Detroit Pistons for pennies on the dollar.

Has Poole's diminished playoff production shaken the team's confidence in its future, or is he a cornerstone piece in the post-Stephen Curry/Klay Thompson era to come?

Skeptical Voices Around the NBA

Poole is generally viewed around the NBA as a talented scorer, which makes sense given his career-high 20.4 points per game this season.

But several competing executives wonder how much his offensive talent leads to winning, given what he doesn't bring on the defensive end.

"He's empty calories," one Eastern Conference executive said.

"He doesn't defend, doesn't really create for others and that Draymond [Green] incident wasn't a great look for either of them," another said, referring to Green punching Poole before the start of the season. "The intel on Poole [and his presence in the locker room] isn't great."

Most polled sources had expected the Warriors to wait until the new collective bargaining agreement to be negotiated before giving Poole an extension.

"I don't know why the Warriors rushed to overpay him. They could have given him the same money this summer. At least then, they'd know what his contract would mean to their situation," the Eastern Conference executive continued. "He's earning more than [Andrew] Wiggins, and Wiggins is way more valuable than Poole."

The new rules seem to be a direct message to the Warriors to slow their spending, which could lead to the end of an era. But Golden State may choose to hold on to what they have for as long as possible, and that may signal an early end to Poole's tenure with the team.

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Bigger Issues to Decide

Bob Myers, the team's president of basketball operations and general manager, is nearing the end of his contract and may not be back after this season.

Widely viewed around the league as one of the top executives, his future may determine the team's next course of action. Some think he may move on to the recent opening in Washington with the Wizards. One Western Conference executive speculated that if Myers left, coach Steve Kerr may soon follow.

Additionally, Green can opt out of his contract for next season at $27.6 million and might if another team is willing to offer him a sizable deal. Or he could extend with the Warriors with Curry and Wiggins on the books through 2025-26 (Wiggins has a player option for 2026-27).

The decision on Thompson is coming, too, heading into the final year of his deal at $43.2 million. But if the Warriors continue to spend at current levels, they'll face even more significant luxury tax penalties with limited spending tools to improve, including various trade restrictions and frozen draft picks.

Eliminating Poole's $32-35 million per season would go a long way toward financial safety, but only with Green and Thompson re-signed at lower figures. The team would lose a high-level regular-season scorer, but those numbers may be replaceable by savvy trades and free-agent acquisitions (even with limited spending power).

But who will be making those decisions? That remains TBD.

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The Market for Poole

Poole is a polarizing player. Some teams wouldn't have interest, regardless of salary. Others like him but question the price.

"It's hard to give up a young guy who is talented," one Western Conference executive said. "If they want to cut salary, then maybe they can get veterans on expiring contracts to help them win next year, then figure it out after that."

More than one executive thinks the Warriors would have to incentivize another team with draft compensation or a player like Moses Moody or Jonathan Kuminga to take on Poole.

"If a team helps the Warriors save $100 million in tax, that same team might lose their cut of the kickback from the league that might be $3 million," an NBA source said.

But other executives thought some teams would be happy to get a young scorer on a multiyear deal.

"Maybe Washington, especially if that's where Myers ends up, or Chicago. Perhaps Dallas if Kyrie Irving leaves [as a free agent]," one former Western Conference executive said. "Maybe the L.A. Clippers."

Other suggestions included the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets. "If the Warriors were motivated, they'd find a trade partner," another NBA source said.

Poole isn't perfect, but he's talented. He may still be part of the Warriors' future, but the team needs to either commit to the veteran core trying to win (and the luxury taxes and restrictions accompanying their massive payroll) or start planning seriously for the future.

As speculated above, Myers, Green, Thompson and Kerr may be nearing an end in Golden State. These decisions may be coming sooner than the franchise anticipated, especially if the team can't get back into the series against the Lakers.

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