In trading Jordan Poole last week the Golden State Warriors landed future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul, however, before they secured the deal with the Washington Wizards, the team had a very different trade return in mind.
The Golden State Warriors’ uncanny success over the last decade has placed the team among the league’s legendary dynasties and made them one of the most well-known brands in sports. However, maintaining that success has been very expensive.
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Beyond giving the franchises superstar trinity of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green major contract extensions over the last decade, they made the bold decision to lock up both Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole to nine-figure deals last year. But their elimination in the second round of the 2023 NBA playoffs proved that their historically expensive roster may not be the right mix to bring the franchise another championship.
That is why it was unsurprising that the Golden State Warriors decided to move Poole last week in what many around the sport considered a salary dump so the organization can lower the massive salary tax bills they had on the horizon. Yet, what was surprising was the return the team got for such a talented player.
Golden State Warriors targeted OG Anunoby with Jordan Poole trade
Not only did the Warriors send Poole to the Washington Wizards, but they also included Ryan Rollins, a 2027 second-round pick, and a protected 2030 first-round pick. In exchange, they received Chris Paul, a player well past his prime with a long history of injury issues. It was shocking considering the upside many see in Poole.
Yet, Paul was not who the Golden State Warriors originally had in mind in a potential Poole trade. On Wednesday, The Athletic NBA reporter Tim Kawakami revealed that when shopping around for a deal, “One of the Warriors’ calls, I’m told, was to check with Toronto about a proposal centering on Poole for 25-year-old forward OG Anunoby. But the Raptors weren’t interested.”
That swap would be understandable from the Warriors’ point of view since both are young players that have shown major potential over the last few seasons. However, Anunoby has been one of the most coveted players in the league over the last year, and the Raptors asking price has reportedly been quite high.
Recently all indications are that they would prefer to hold on to him despite this upcoming season being the last on his current contract.