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Not all players possess Fournier’s self-awareness, though.
Just take Jordan Poole as an example, who, after a putrid playoff run that saw him average 10.3 points on 34.1 percent shooting (25.4 percent from three), told The Ringer that it wasn’t a bad year for him because he averaged career-highs in two categories:
“I don’t know why I wouldn’t be [back],” Jordan Poole told me a day after the Warriors’ season ended. “It wasn’t a bad year. I mean, career highs in two categories. I was able to make history with Klay and Steph. My first game-winner. It was a lot of good things that happened this season. It wasn’t a bad season. Yes, I’m in the fabric. Yes, I belong here in this organization, bridging the gap. And I’m a young guy who was drafted here. We won a championship last year, and we have another chance to do it again. And I don’t know why anybody else would feel otherwise. I don’t think anybody is thinking like that.”
Granted, Poole is right: Overall, the campaign as a whole was a successful one for him individually, as his numbers for the regular season (20.4 points and 4.5 assists on 43.0 percent shooting) were strong and showed progress, but his poor run of form in the playoffs was so bad that it has to give the Warriors some concern about the future.
He’s also right that there’s little reason to think he won’t be back next season. After all, Poole has four seasons left on his deal after this one, peaking in 2026-27 at $35.3 million; it would be asinine for the Warriors to move him now when his value is so low.
Regardless, one reporter for The Athletic believes Golden State will look into what Poole’s market might be this summer:
If Draymond signs for anything near $30 million, some money will have to be subtracted. And Poole will have some value around the league. Maybe not as much as he had when he signed the deal, but part of the reason the Warriors paid that price was that they knew Poole would have trade value. I think the Warriors will see what the market is for Poole. They could use a tougher backup guard. They could use somebody who can score tough points. They were missing a “change-up,” as Curry described it, against the Lakers’ two-layer defense, guarding the perimeter and then having Davis sitting in the lane.
Considering Poole and Thompson are owed a combined $71 million next year, maybe the asinine move would be for the Warriors not to try to move the young Golden State 2-guard.
Either way, it’s starting to become clearer why reports state Warriors general manager Bob Myers might not be back next season. Whoever does have to make the aforementioned types of decisions in the future is not in an enviable position.
For all of the latest Jordan Poole trade rumors, click here.
