One NBA writer is proposing that the Golden State Warriors trade Jordan Poole to the Charlotte Hornets this offseason for Terry Rozier and Cody Martin.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report proposed the “no-brainer” trade.
“They’ll only get so many cracks at the crown with Stephen Curry still in his prime, so they shouldn’t feel compelled to live with Poole’s production swings any longer,” Buckley wrote. “Sending him to Charlotte, where the good version of Poole could add support scoring and playmaking to an offense that needs more of both around LaMelo Ball, could make Golden State deeper and better balanced.
“Terry Rozier could replace all of Poole’s offensive production—their numbers were strikingly similar this season—while significantly improving this group’s perimeter defense. Cody Martin, meanwhile, could fill a niche three-and-D role as a depth piece on the wing. The Warriors might be losing the best player in this deal—that would be the Hornets’ wager, at least—but they could still come out of it with a more complete roster.”
Poole signed a four-year, $128 million extension with the Warriors in October 2022. The extension kicks in next season. The Michigan product averaged a career-high 20.4 points for the Warriors this season while shooting 43.0% from the field, 33.6% from beyond the arc and 87.0% from the free-throw line.
However, Poole wasn’t able to carry over his regular-season success to the postseason. In 13 playoff games versus the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers, Poole averaged 10.3 points while shooting an inefficient 34.1% overall and 25.4% from 3-point range.
The Warriors, which won the championship last season over the Boston Celtics, lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals in six games, with Poole averaging just 8.3 points in the series.
Rozier signed a four-year, $96 million contract with the Hornets in August 2021. He’ll make $23 million next season. Meanwhile, Martin signed a four-year, $31 million deal with Charlotte in July 2022. He’ll earn $7.6 million in 2023-24.
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