Jordan Poole was afraid to throw a subtle jab at his old team.
The New Orleans Pelicans held their media day on Tuesday ahead of the rest of the NBA. A lot of eyes were on Poole, whom the team acquired in a trade with the Washington Wizards earlier in the offseason.
Aside from Poole, the Pelicans also added veteran center Kevon Looney via free agency. The two played together during Jordan’s time with the Golden State Warriors. When asked how he felt about reuniting with Looney, Poole gave an answer that probably won’t sit well with some of his former Wizards teammates.
“I’m super excited. I’m super excited, man. I haven’t had a good screen in two years, so it’ll be dope,” Poole said.
"I'm super excited, man. I haven't had a good screen in two years."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 23, 2025
Pelicans guard Jordan Poole on playing with Kevon Looney again 😅
(via @PelicansNBA)pic.twitter.com/D2gX3Tc2AP
While Poole was primarily trying to praise Looney’s screen-setting abilities, it came at the expense of calling out his former big men in Washington. But that doesn’t mean he was lying.
Poole didn’t exactly play with prime Kevin McHale and Robert Parish during his two years with the Wizards. His primary center last season was 7-foot rookie Alex Sarr, who came into the league just 10 pounds heavier than Poole.
The best screen setter Poole had during his Wizards tenure was arguably Daniel Gafford, who got traded to the Dallas Mavericks halfway through the 2023-24 season. Jonas Valanciunas also deserves a mention, but he mainly came off the bench and was similarly traded before last season’s deadline.
In New Orleans, Poole can get screens from both Looney and Zion Williamson, who also turned heads during the Pelicans’ media day for yet another offseason body transformation.
