At one point in his career, Jordan Poole looked like he was going to be a long-time NBA star.
He was a valued member of the Golden State Warriors, a fantastic piece for this team when they won the NBA Finals in 2022.
Shortly after helping the Warriors win the finals, Poole was given a four-year, $128 million extension, seemingly solidifying his spot on this team.
This seemed to be a great deal at the time, especially since he averaged 20.4 points per game in the ensuing season thanks to a hot start.
However, as the season went on, it became very clear that, when the Warriors started losing, Poole would become a causality in all of this, despite the messaging that came out from the Warriors staff.
Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards in the offseason, a move that some questioned at the time.
This was a massive contract for the Wizards to take on.
As NBA insider Bobby Marks recently said in a radio appearance, “A lot of teams are calling the Jordan Poole contract one of the worst deals in the NBA right now.”
"A lot of teams are calling the Jordan Poole contract one of the worst deals in the NBA right now."
(Via @957thegame ) pic.twitter.com/H5YqsNiCYC
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 22, 2024
Whether this is true or not, Poole hasn’t provided the Wizards the same value he did to the Warriors on their championship run.
He is averaging 15.6 points per game on the year, contributing another 2.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists on top of that.
For a player who was expected to come to the Wizards and be an instant star, Poole has greatly underachieved expectations.
Can he turn things around in the years to come, making this contract worth their while?
NEXT: Kyle Kuzma Gets Honest About His Goal With Wizards