As rumors of a potential Klay Thompson buyout at the Dallas Mavericks run rampant this offseason, his former Golden State Warriors championship teammate Jordan Poole could find himself facing a similar fate.
There's been no concrete reporting on the New Orleans Pelicans looking at a Poole buyout, but it's a concept that has become a talking point after a career-worst year for the once rising Warrior star.
Jordan Poole could face similar buyout fate to Klay Thompson
After being acquired from the Washington Wizards last summer, Poole appeared in just 39 games in his first year with the Pelicans and was regularly out of the rotation as they prioritized the development of rookie guard Jeremiah Fears.
It's prompted a call from Sports Illustrated's Cem Yolbulan for New Orleans to consider a Poole buyout, rather than let him play out the final year of the contract he initially signed with Golden State after the 2022 championship.
"What they could do, however, is to let him go now rather than wait until next summer. One has to assume that Poole would be open to a contract buyout, considering how he was out of the rotation for most of last season. Instead of riding the bench for a lottery team, Poole could be interested in joining a team he could play for and potentially secure a new contract," Yolbulan wrote.
Poole will make $34 million on the final year of his deal, making it a big decision if the Pelicans went down the buyout path. At the same time, the egregious nature of that deal in relation to Poole's output is also why it's difficult to see a trade taking place.
Jordan Poole buyout is more unlikely than Klay Thompson
As much as Poole would probably like to leave the Pelicans, accepting a buyout as a 27-year-old could be dangerous and limit his potential future earnings should he prove capable of rebuilding his value.
That's why a Poole buyout would seem more unlikely than one for Thompson who is now 36-years-old and toward the end of his career. The Mavericks are reportedly adamant on trading the five-time All-Star, but their stance could change the longer the offseason progress without a deal that lands Thompson with a new team.
Much like Poole's situation in New Orleans, Dallas may find it difficult to find a trade partner for Thompson and his $17.4 million expiring deal without taking on an undesirable longer term contract like the Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt or the Heat's Nikola Jovic.
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