Wizards Giving Up on $128 Million Jordan Poole for CJ McCollum Has Fans Confused: “Big Trade of Nothingness”

Washington Wizards had hoped Jordan Poole was going to turn into an All-Star and lead them to playoff success.

Wizards Giving Up on $128 Million Jordan Poole for CJ McCollum Has Fans Confused: “Big Trade of Nothingness”

Washington Wizards swap Jordan Poole for CJ McCollum (Image via FirstSportz)

Jordan Poole was expected to be a core part of the Washington Wizards after they brought in veterans to help him and the rest of the young squad before February’s trade deadline. This new era was supposed to see them try and push for a playoff spot.

Some of the Eastern Conference’s best players are out injured and will not return for quite a while. It was best to take advantage of this situation. If they can win games early on, they can get a leg up on their conference rivals in the final standings.

Many expected the Wizards to build off this new core and possibly add pieces once the 2024-25 season ended. Those new veterans were proven playoff experts, and all that was needed was for another scorer or two. However, the franchise’s latest move indicates they have something else on their minds.

The New Orleans Pelicans are trading CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick to the Washington Wizards for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and the No. 40 pick, sources tell ESPN.

Shams Charania revealed on X

This latest news confirms the end of Jordan Poole‘s run with the Washington Wizards. They had traded for the former Golden State Warriors’ championship-winning guard, hoping he would develop into an All-Star as initially predicted.

So far, he has been anything but, and instead, found himself on the receiving end of many league-wide jokes. Former player Kevin Garnett was one of his fiercest critics, questioning the young star’s motivation and skill to play in the NBA.

Fans scratch their heads after Jordan Poole – CJ McCollum trade

When this news hit the notifications section of their phones, basketball fans wondered which team won in this trade. On one hand, the Washington Wizards brought in a 33-year-old guard in CJ McCollum, who has made more headlines due to his injury woes than actual game-altering performances.

On the other hand, they questioned the New Orleans Pelicans’ motives going after Jordan Poole, after all the brickbats he has received over the past two seasons. Fans wondered if this trade benefited either, and believe the Pelicans have lost track of how to build a contender. Check out examples of those reactions below:

Jordan Poole might develop into an elite guard. He also might be the best slot-in scorer the Pelicans need alongside their young core. However, there are major question marks regarding his drive and passion for the game.

On the other hand, the Wizards’ new veteran trio has concerning injury histories. They were the 2nd-worst team in the league last season, and have two first-round picks. Therefore, they might be looking at the veterans to help their young players develop as they strive to become competitive.

Draymond Green understood Jordan Poole is built differently

Poole’s impact in the Golden State Warriors’ 2022 championship-winning run set him up to be their next great star. That changed when Draymond Green punched him after he blurted out some expletives at the veteran forward.

Draymond Green and Jordan Poole
Draymond Green and Jordan Poole (Image via Bleacher Report)

After that, the chemistry within the team suffered, and the guard had to be traded away. Now, after three years, Green has been talking about regretting that incident. While he was on the Pivot podcast, he revealed how he figured out Poole was different.

At age 33, 34, 35, I still learn those lessons. When that situation happened, I’m like, ‘alright, cool, we move on’ and then when we couldn’t, I was like, huh? He ain’t from where you’re from. Nine years in. But it’s them lessons like that that ultimately make me who I am to this day.

Draymond Green said on The Pivot

By saying this, the four-time champion revealed how he understood that Jordan Poole was not built the way he thought men usually are. That is, if a disagreement happens, they rough each other up if necessary, and get over it.

Draymond Green believes that the incident helped him change his view about people. The new generation, especially, does not handle disagreements the old-fashioned way. Therefore, Green was forced to realize he was wrong.

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