NBA rumors: Bulls lose Patrick Williams, Jordan Poole ‘displeased,’ Thunder waive Pokusevski

NBA Rumors: Jordan Poole ‘displeased’ over new bench role

Things have not gone as planned for Jordan Poole and the Washington Wizards in his first season with the team. Poole has struggled mightily throughout the year, posting his worst shooting splits across the board since his rookie season.

His poor performance has left interim head coach Brian Keefe no choice but to relegate Poole to the bench, marking the first time this season the latter has played in a game but didn’t start.

After his first game as a reserve for the Wizards, which Washington lost 130-110 against the Denver Nuggets, Poole aired out his frustration to the media. Per Ava Wallace, who covers the Wizards for the Washington Post, spoke to a “displeased” Poole about his newfound bench role. 

“If there’s any common sense, with the situation, you should know how I feel. But I’m just going to come out, do what I can do to help the team, keep it moving,” Poole told Wallace.

Before being traded to Washington, Poole was a notable contributor for the perennial title contender Golden State Warriors, playing a critical role in their 2022 NBA Championship run. Now, he is struggling to carve out a role on a 9-46 Wizards team.

In 53 games this season, Poole is averaging 15.7 points per game while shooting 39.6 percent from the floor and making 30.4 percent of his three-point attempts, adding 3.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals.

While Keefe may view this as a short-term resolution, it doesn’t solve the long-term concerns about Poole’s role within the franchise, who has three years and roughly $96 million remaining on his contract.