The Golden State Warriors traded Jordan Poole in 2023, and Pelicans fans are already seeing the problems he can cause. Poole is currently injured, but he shot 35.4 percent from the field in his first seven games. To add to the nightmare, New Orleans went 1-6 with him after trading their 2026 first-round pick in the offseason.
Poole is no longer the 20-point-per-game scorer Dubs’ fans remember. He is averaging 17.3 points with a 45.5 effective field goal percentage. It is his lowest scoring total since his second season and his worst effective field goal since his rookie campaign. The results have been disastrous.
The Pelicans traded for Poole as part of a series of moves to become a contender under new head of basketball operations Joe Dumars. Instead, they are near the bottom of the loaded Western Conference and have one of the worst players in the NBA so far locked in at over $31 million per year until 2027.
Jordan Poole is already looking like a massive bust with his new team
The advanced metrics tell the tale. Poole has produced a negative value over replacement player (VORP) and sits 181st of 195 qualified players in win shares per 48 minutes. The Pelicans would be better off signing a player off the street. Poole has the ninth-worst effective field goal percentage in the NBA as a player known for his shot-making.
The Warriors did dump Ryan Rollins in this trade, who is breaking out on the Bucks. It is the cost of doing business, especially after the Draymond Green punch made this situation untenable. Golden State had to move one of the two players, and they were not ditching the four-time champion.
Poole spent two years on the rebuilding Wizards, which did not help his efficiency or shot selection. The 6’4 guard has always been a negative on the defensive end of the floor. Without efficiency and high-volume offense, Poole is a massive negative. That is exactly what the Pelicans have received so far.
Poole has missed the last three games with a quad strain. He is scheduled to be reevaluated in the middle of this month. New Orleans has played better without him, and certainly hope his efficiency improves whenever he returns to the floor.
The Warriors were wise to dump Jordan Poole when they did. He played a key role in the 2022 championship, but was always going to be problematic in the playoffs. It was time to move on, and Poole has not consistently won games since leaving the Bay Area. This was his chance to rewrite the narrative, but it has been a bigger disaster than Washington.
The Golden State Warriors are back in contention with Jimmy Butler flanking Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Jordan Poole is no longer their problem. Fans hope that this aging core makes one more deep playoff run. It won’t be easy, but ditching Poole and his massive contract was the right move. The talented guard keeps proving that.