One opponent may soon be crashing the Golden State Warriors’ Poole party.
An Eastern Conference executive told Sean Deveney of Heavy.com this week that the Orlando Magic could potentially be a threat to sign shooting guard Jordan Poole away from Golden State next summer. Deveney adds that the Magic might be armed with as much as $60 million in cap space, which the Warriors, who are trapped in the luxury tax abyss, will likely be unable to compete with for Poole.
Poole, who busted out for 18.5 points and 4.0 assists per game last season, is under contract for one more year but can hit restricted free agency in 2023. One may argue that the defending champion Warriors are the consummate fit for Poole, whose blemishes, especially on defense, are masked by all the star power he has alongside him on the team.
But if the 23-year-old Poole wants to get his bread, it is hard to compete with the easy-money opportunity provided by the Magic. Poole would also have a shot to be at the top of the offensive totem pole in Orlando, a team that has built around players at other positions (like Cole Anthony, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., and No. 1 overall draft pick Paolo Banchero) instead of around a high-scoring 2 guard. That is a chance that Poole may never get in Golden State.
The Warriors still have one more year to figure out what to do about Poole. But some other financial factors could severely cramp what they are able to offer the former first-round pick in a potential extension.
