If there is one thing Jordan Poole should keep in mind when negotiating his next contract with the Golden State Warriors, it is that you don’t want to end up as the odd man out.
Poole needs to look no further than the ongoing situation with Collin Sexton and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jordan Poole should be studying the mistakes made by Collin Sexton when discussing his future with the Golden State Warriors.
Heading into the 2021-22 NBA season, Sexton was in the same boat as Poole. That is, he was given an opportunity to sign an extension before testing restricted free agency in the following summer.
Sexton chose to turn down the Cavs’ best offer of $20 million a year, according to The Athletic.
Choosing to bet on himself, the young, high-scoring guard felt confident he could post another strong season and raise his price tag.
Things could not have gone worse for Sexton.
He had a bumpy start to the season. Albeit, his actual impact on the court was better than the 16.0 points on 24% 3-point shooting averages would tell you.
Nonetheless, these statistics work against Sexton when discussing salary.
More damaging is what happened in November, with a knee injury leaving Sexton sidelined for the remainder of the season.
While on the bench, his Cavaliers stormed to their most successful non-LeBron season since the 90s, with Darius Garland emerging as a breakout cornerstone.
The Cavs are now in a much better position than they were when first discussing Sexton’s future.
Factor in the fact that he failed to earn any offers in restricted free agency, Sexton lost all of his leverage — and Cleveland is now offering three years, $40 million.
This fallout is something Poole should be studying.
For Poole, the high of winning a championship could be enough to make him decline an extension in pursuit of big bucks next summer. As always, betting on yourself runs the risk of losing.
Poole does not want to end up in the same situation as Sexton.
If the Warriors offer a serviceable deal this fall, Poole should take it, allowing both parties to move forward into another season without the headache of contract negotiations.