Former guard finally has the chance to make Warriors regret trading him

Following his controversial trade from the Golden State Warriors last June, Jordan Poole's first season with the Washington Wizards certainly fell below expectation.

Unlocked from the perceived chains of playing behind Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Poole was expected to thrive with more opportunity in Washington. Instead it was the opposite -- his poor play contributed to a dismal Wizards' team, his lowlights often went viral on social media, and by just after the All-Star break he was briefly demoted to a bench role on a squad that ultimately finished the season with a paltry 15-67 record.

Jordan Poole finally has the role to make the Warriors regret trading him

But in an otherwise disappointing season -- a ray of light at the end. An injury to Tyus Jones allowed Poole to take a significant load of the point guard minutes, with the 2022 NBA champion averaging 21.2 points and 7.1 assists while shooting 43.4% from the floor, 35.2% from beyond the arc, and 94.2% from the free-throw line over the final 16 games.

Jones has since left and joined the Phoenix Suns in free agency, and while the Wizards did acquire another veteran point guard in former Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, Poole is locked into the starting point guard role according to Bijan Todd of Monumental Sports Network.

After a turbulent first season in Washington, this is a huge opportunity for him to become the player many envisioned when he signed a four-year, $128 million contract with Golden State. Wizards teammates have noticed a much different Poole already this preseason, suggesting he's ready to turn the tables from his first year with the Wizards.

“I think he’s more relaxed. I think he’s more at home," Kyle Kuzma told Josh Robbins of The Athletic. "I think, for him, coming to a new situation (for) the first time in his career was probably really, really hard and a little bit different.”

With Chris Paul having departed this offseason, the Warriors can get nothing more from that blockbuster trade -- unless you want to point at the financial flexibility with not having Poole or Paul's contracts on the books. Even the Warriors acquisition of 57th overall pick Trayce Jackson-Davis on the same day last year is officially viewed as a seperate transaction between the two teams.

On the other hand, the Wizards can now hope for a return on their significant investment. If things go right, Poole can be a pillar of the franchise for a decade in a way Golden State had once hoped. Poole has the time, and now the role, to make the Warriors regret trading him, particularly given there's an alternate reality where he would be starting this season as Stephen Curry's back court teammate following the departure of Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks.