New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby is in the midst of his crowning moment during these NBA Finals, and it's simultaneously making the Jordan Poole trade from three years ago look even worse for the Golden State Warriors.
Much has been made of the Warriors' inability to acquire Anunoby in a deal that would have included Jonathan Kuminga at the 2023 mid-season deadline, but another report has emerged of the franchise's attempt to trade Poole for the then Toronto Raptors forward just months later.
Warriors tried to trade Jordan Poole for OG Anunoby in 2023
According to Warriors insider Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard on Thursday, Golden State inquired about sending Poole to the Raptors in exchange for Anunoby, only to be rejected by both player and franchise.
The Warriors wound up trading Poole to the Washington Wizards for Chris Paul, resulting in just one rather underwhelming year with the legendary point guard before they let his contract expire the following offseason.
I've reported that the Warriors talked about a package that would've sent Jordan Poole to TOR for Anunoby in the 2023 offseason. TOR (and Anunoby) said no.
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) June 11, 2026
So GSWs traded Poole to WSH for Chris Paul. https://t.co/8VDD8GSsIG
Golden State would have assuredly needed to throw in more than just Poole, but the ultimate price the Knicks paid for Anunoby wasn't extreme by any means, having given up RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick.
That trade has aged perfectly for the Knicks, and it's hard not to imagine what could have been for the Warriors had they managed to land Anunoby, regardless of whether it was ultimately for Poole or Kuminga.
OG Anunoby could win Finals MVP
Anunoby's stocks have only risen since joining the Knicks, but particularly during these playoffs where his impact and presence is being felt more with every passing game as the franchise nears its historic first championship since 1973.
The 28-year-old went viral after being the hero in New York's shocking Game 4 comeback victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. After stopping De'Aaron Fox's ill-advised layup attempt in the final 10 seconds, Anunoby flew in to deliver a game-winning tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining.
Anunoby finished with 33 points on 7-of-9 3-point shooting to help lead the Knicks from 29 points down to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, and he could now take out Finals MVP after averaging 23.0 points on 58% shooting from the floor and 55.6% from 3-point range during the first four games.
The Warriors have been proven right for moving on from Poole given how his career has panned out since, but that's not to say they couldn't have done more with his contract than the eventual Paul trade.
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