The Warriors-Wizards trade happened a few weeks ago and yet opinions about it still keep emerging. The Warriors completed their trade by sending off Jordan Poole, Patrick Baldwin Jr., Ryan Rollins, and two prospective NBA picks to the Washington Wizards. All this in exchange for 38-year-old 12x NBA All-Star Chris Paul. But why did the Warriors let go of Jordan Poole?

Maybe because Poole struggled to find his pace last season? Or maybe because Poole has had several run-ins with a veteran Warrior, Draymond Green. However, a $60 million-worth NBA legend seems to think that the Warriors intentionally let go of Poole, simply because they “hated” him.

A veteran has strong opinions about the Poole-Paul trade

Poole got drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2019. Since then, he has helped the franchise get their fourth championship win. Poole also made it to the All-NBA G League third team in 2021. And yet, Poole’s 4-year run with the Warriors ended. 

The Warriors had just one priority: to get Chris Paul on the team’s roster. While some speculate that Poole was just a scapegoat, others seem to think that the Warriors were intentionally trying to get rid of Poole. 

Charles Barkley, a former NBA star who now reports for CBS, strongly agrees with the latter. In a recent conversation with NBC Sports Bay Area, Sir Charles commented, “They [Warriors] really hated Jordan Poole. That’s the number one thing I said to myself: They really hated Jordan Poole.”

Barkley’s comment, though opinionated, holds some truth. 24-year-old Poole gave a very mediocre performance in his 3rd NBA season. Poole averaged 20.4 points per game, with 2.7 RPG, and 4.5 assists. To top it all, Poole’s verbal altercations with Draymond seriously impacted his contributions.

Read More: Way Before Slapping Jordan Poole, Draymond Green Got Smacked by Tristan Thompson Despite Apologizing at LeBron James’ Event

As Sir Charles rightly pointed out, “This is going to be a change for him [Poole] to reset…he had a tough year…he was peaks and valleys, so he needed a fresh start.”

A fresh start for Jordan Poole

Hate is a strong word. But by the looks of it, the Warrior-Wizards trade does seem to have an ulterior motive. While it is apparent that the Warriors are rebuilding for their 5th championship win, bringing in Paul, who has never won a championship, is at most a risk-worthy experiment. So maybe getting Poole out of the team was a calculated part of the deal. Watch This Story: Shortly After Bidding Jordan Poole Adieu, Stephen Curry Welcomes His Latest Warriors Teammate on Elon Musk’s New Rival Endeavor

Paul averaged 13.9 PPG with 8.9 assists last season with the Phoenix Suns. With a $31M contract, Paul is now incoming to play with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Will this trio lead the franchise to another win? Or was this trade-off a disastrous mistake? Share your take in the comments!