Contract: Four years, $140 million signed in 2022
Jordan Poole held a valuable role on the Golden State Warriors’ path to winning the NBA title in 2021-22. His breakout year arrived at a perfect time because he’d be eligible to sign a rookie-scale extension.
“Poole has proven to be a valuable part of the Warriors’ attack. Scorers get paid, and Poole can score,” B/R’s Eric Pincus wrote at the time. “Can he become a complete player?”
Instead of being able to develop in a great situation, Poole had to walk on metaphorical eggshells for a year in Golden State. It clearly became an untenable situation, and the Dubs shipped him to the Wizards before the 2023-24 campaign. Unsurprisingly, his efficiency dropped in a featured role on one of the league’s worst teams.
That’s the long version of saying Poole’s contract might actually look manageable if he was still with Golden State. As a top scorer in Washington, however, it’s not so friendly.