Jan 26, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans head coach Willie Green watches game action against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

'He’s Ready to Take Another Step Forward' – New Orleans Pelicans Coach Opens Up on Acquiring Jordan Poole This Offseason

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 3:20 PM ET

One of the biggest moves the New Orleans Pelicans made this summer was acquiring Jordan Poole from the Washington Wizards. In the three-team deal , they also received Saddiq Bey and the 40th overall pick of this year’s draft.

No one could be more excited about the trade than head coach Willie Green, who believes that Poole can blossom into a franchise cornerstone with the New Orleans Pelicans.

“I’m extremely excited. I think he’s at a point in his career where he’s ready to take another step forward. He’s excited,” Green said about Poole via Jim Eichenhofer on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Jan 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) dribbles the ball during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

“He’s a dynamic scorer, a champion. Learned under guys at Golden State. We’re excited to put it all together,” he concluded.

New Orleans Pelicans swingman garnering suitors in the trade market

NBA insider Jake Fischer recently revealed that the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs are among the suitors of New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III in the trade market. The 25-year-old signed a four-year, $112 million contract extension with the team last year.

Jan 29, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) dunks against Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall, not pictured, during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

“Sources say that the Warriors have a strong affinity for Murphy and have made outreach to New Orleans as recently as this summer. Yet sources say that the Pelicans, to be clear, have batted away calls for the 25-year-old, valuing him highly,” Fischer reported on The Stein Line.

“The two-way forward will be playing on a contract in 2025-26 — at precisely $25 million — as desirable as his talent. Another team known to have registered trade interest in Murphy, sources say, is San Antonio,” he added.