The NBA offseason has been crazy, but probably the most surprising move was Golden State Warriors trading rising star Jordan Poole for aging star Chris Paul.
The moves sent shock waves around the league, and even seemed to surprise some of the Warriors’ players, one being star shooting guard Klay Thompson.
During a recent appearance on “Podcast P with Paul George,” Thompson opened up on the move and what the future holds for his ex-teammate and “little brother” Poole.
Thompson Says Poole Being Traded Is Unfortunate, But It’s Business
“It hurts to see Jordan go,” Thompson said. “That’s the nature of the beast. … And we wouldn’t have won the championship without him. He was so important to us when Steph went down. Jordan is forever gonna be cherished in the Warriors lore just for what he did and helping bring us back to where we needed to go.”
Thompson also described seeing Poole during an offseason workout the two had with Steph and Seth Curry. “It was weird to see him in Wizards gear, but that’s like…little bro.”
Thompson is correct, Poole was a staple for the Warriors during their 2021-22 championship-winning season. He filled in admirably for an injured Steph Curry and his play in the postseason along with Andrew Wiggins were huge reasons why they won their fourth Larry O’Brien trophy in eight seasons.
Thompson Believes Poole Has All-Star Potential
Poole’s talent is undeniable, and while he’s still erratic at times, he has so much untapped potential. Thompson says he expects to him to reach that potential playing for a rebuilding Washington Wizards team. There Poole should mature and develop a much better understanding of when to pass and when to score.
“He’s definitely got All-Star potential,” Thompson added. “I’m excited to watch him and Kuz [Kyle Kuzma]. That’s going to be the swaggiest buckets ever. But I’m excited for him. Washington got a good one. Future All-Star for sure.”
Poole will have every opportunity to showcase his skills nightly in Washington. In fact, he and Kyle Kuzma should be one of the highest-scoring duos in the league, albeit on a losing team.
