Sources: Wizards to send Chris Paul to Warriors for Jordan Poole
Several days after agreeing to send Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a package including Chris Paul, the Washington Wizards agreed to send the future Hall of Fame point guard to the Golden State Warriors Thursday for Jordan Poole, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Wizards are also receiving a protected 2030 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick from Golden State in the deal, sources said.
Washington began its complete roster overhaul under new president of basketball operations Michael Winger on Sunday, when Beal agreed to waive his no-trade clause to be sent to the Suns. That deal was officially completed Thursday, with the Wizards receiving Paul andLandry Shamet;first-round pick swaps in 2024, 2026, 2028 and 2030; second-round picks from 2024 through 2028, plus 2030; and cash from the Suns in the deal. Phoenix also receivedJordan Goodwin and Isaiah Toddfrom the Wizards. Then, in a separate deal, Paul was sent to Golden State in exchange for Poole plus the draft compensation from the Warriors.
The two sides agreed to wait to officially complete the Beal trade so the Wizards would have time to relocate Paul to a third team in a deal to recoup additional assets as part of the deal.
That team turned out to be Golden State, where Paul winds up after spending the past decade facing the Warriors in the playoffs over and over again, as Golden State's new general manager, Mike Dunleavy Jr., makes the first significant move of his tenure after officially taking over for Bob Myers last week.
Paul, 38, averaged 13.9 points and 8.9 assists for the Suns last season across 59 games, and he gives the Warriors a different way to attack defenses when Stephen Curry is off the court, although -- after starting every single game of his career thus far, 1,214 regular-season games and 149 postseason contests -- Paul is likely to be ticketed for a reserve role in what will be his 19th NBA season.
While neither team has announced the trade, Paul was asked about it Thursday night.
"I'm excited," he told The Charlotte Observer. "I'm really excited."
Paul also said he's already talked to Curry, calling the conversation "good."
Paul also has a $30 million expiring contract, compared with the four years and $140 million left on the extension Poole signed before the start of last season, removing a significant chunk of money from Golden State's future books as the Warriors navigate the harsher penalties on big-spending teams imposed by the league's new collective bargaining agreement. The Warriors have to sort out the possibility of a new contract with franchise cornerstone Draymond Green after he opted out of his contract earlier this month and became a free agent.
Washington will get Poole, who will step into the starting shooting guard spot vacated by Beal in the trade, and as part of a newly formed starting backcourt for the Wizards that has come together in the past 24 hours. Washington had previously agreed to send Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics late Wednesday night -- shortly before his midnight deadline to pick up his $36 million player option for next season -- in a three-team deal with the Memphis Grizzlies that saw the Wizards land point guard Tyus Jones.
During his time with the Warriors, Poole -- the 28th pick in the 2019 NBA draft -- developed into a dynamic scoring guard, one who averaged 24.6 points and 4.6 assists as a starter in 43 games this season.
But Poole's season was overshadowed by Greenpunching him during a preseason practice, and after playing well in Golden State's run to the 2022 NBA title -- averaging 17.0 points on 50.8% shooting overall and 39% from 3 -- his numbers slumped to 10.3 points on 34% shooting overall and 25.4% from 3.
Meanwhile, sources told Wojnarowski on Tuesday that Washington forward Kyle Kuzma, one of the more intriguing free agents on the market this summer, has declined his player option and will be an unrestricted free agent.
