1 contract every NBA team would want back
By Ian Levy
Golden State Warriors: Jordan Poole
The Warriors did well to turn Poole’s four-year, $128 million contract into Chris Paul for next season but they might have had a lot more options if they had never offered him that much in the first place.
Offering him that extension last summer was reportedly one of the reasons they didn’t negotiate an extension with Draymond Green before last season, and, again, reportedly, a big part of the preseason fight between Green and Poole that seemed to be a drag on the team’s chemistry last year.
Twelve months ago, Poole looked like an important piece for the future but the deal seemed like an overpay at the time and it was clear they were sacrificing a good deal of flexibility by planning around him as a potential centerpiece for the next iteration of this team. Hindsight is 20/20 but keeping Green happy, working to pay Poole significantly less or simply trading him when his value was high might have put the Warriors in a better position.