Debate is already raging on whether the Golden State Warriors should actually look at a reunion with Jordan Poole next summer after the former guard made no secret of his desire to return to the franchise on Monday.
Poole has completely fallen off the map in terms of NBA relevance, but the Warriors should still welcome back the 2022 champion if they can't afford to keep Brandon Williams in free agency next year.
Warriors should welcome back Jordan Poole if they can't afford Brandon Williams
For as heart-warming and nostalgic as it would be, Poole doesn't necessarily make sense with this current iteration of the team. Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office won't be leaning on nostalgia anyway given the outlook of the team -- both in the short and long-term -- appears much brighter as a result of their current eight-game winning streak.
Williams has been a big part of that with his energy and scoring off the bench, albeit the 26-year-old will now be sidelined for at least a week after suffering a hamstring injury against Poole and the Pelicans on Monday night.
No one would argue the Warriors should be replacing Williams with Poole based on current form and what we've seen in the past 12 months. Williams is playing an important role on a playoff-level team, while Poole has been racking up DNPs on a lowly Pelicans team.
But after failing to find a contract till August -- and even then having to settle for a non-guaranteed deal -- Williams' current form could see a rival team pursue him at more than the minimum next season. If that proves the case, the Warriors may not be willing to match even if they've got the cap space to do so.
That's when Poole at the minimum could become a viable -- and by the sounds of his comments on Monday -- a very realistic alternative to play a similar role off the bench as a spark-plug scorer.
Jordan Poole can still reignite his career next season
It's nothing short of disappointing that a player as young as Poole has seen his career spiral so much to the point where he'll almost assuredly have to accept a minimum contract next year. However, it may also prove the best thing for him, and give the 27-year-old a chance to reunite his career.
In defense of Poole, you'd be hard pressed to find two worse franchises than Washington and New Orleans to be at over the past four years since he was traded by Golden State. It's for that reason there should be hope that he can reignite his career and be a valuable contributor to a good team again if he's in the right environment.
The Warriors are proven to be the right environment, and a reunion should well and truly be on the cards if the circumstances fit for both parties come free agency.
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