Wizards turn limited resources into helping the future

The Wizards completed the Chris Paul trade with the Suns and then flipped him to the Warriors for Jordan Poole, a first-round pick, and more assets.

Before the Bradley Beal trade that landed the Washington Wizards Chris Paul was even finalized, the club was still dealing.

Namely, as reported first by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Wizards traded Paul to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Jordan Poole, a protected 2030 first-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick and Ryan Hollins.

When you consider that the Wizards were likely to cut Paul if they couldn’t find a trade for the veteran guard, this is a pretty solid haul for Washington. Taking on the Poole contract is a lot, certainly. Still, the Wizards aren’t going to be competitive in the next couple of years, so taking on a bad contract in order to get a first-round pick is a good deal for the franchise.

Moreover, they have an opportunity to reshape the newest Wizard after a change of scenery to possibly make him part of the future.

Wizards: What does Chris Paul trade mean for future after Beal, Porzingis deals?

The Wizards are in asset-acquiring mode. This is a team that did not get a crazy haul for Bradley Beal due to the circumstances that the previous regime ended up creating.

On the whole, though, the Wizards have turned a player with a no-trade clause and a bad contract into Jordan Poole, Tyus Jones, four first-round pick swaps, six second-round picks, and a Top 20-protected 2030 first-round pick.

Given the circumstances, that’s good business for Washington.

Poole indeed struggled in this year’s playoffs. However, the Wizards needed someone to control the offense and, in a market where full-blown tanking isn’t a viable option in order to remain somewhat attractive to fans, the newest acquisition offers some hope of helping that cause.