Jordan Poole looks at bright side of Wizards tenure after $140,000,000 contract and NBA title: "Can play my type of basketball"
Following his four seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Jordan Poole was moved to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Chris Paul. It was a move that showed that the Warriors are ready to move on from the 2022 NBA champion. With a new team and a young cast of players, the expectation is for Poole to be the main option on the team alongside Kyle Kuzma.
Recently, the Wizards guard was interviewed by Yahoo! Sports' Jake Fischer regarding his new situation in Washington and how he has adjusted to the transition.
"Essentially everything that needed to be done in Golden State got done," Poole said. "I got a ring. Made sure my family is straight. A good situation to come in [to Washington] and just kind of have my own team, play my own type of basketball."
From Poole's comments, he is looking at his new situation as a new beginning for his career. He mentioned how he was able to accomplish a lot back when he was in Golden State, from winning a championship to making sure his family is secured.
Back in October 2022, the former Warriors guard signed a four-year $140 million contract extension before being traded to Washington.
Now playing for the Washington Wizards, he acknowledges the unique situation that he is in as an opportunity to grow and lead his own team. Interestingly, he also said that he can "play my own type of basketball" in Washington.
There's no denying that the Golden State Warriors is Stephen Curry's team. Whether Poole was a proper fit alongside the starters or not, his production and capabilities were limited to a bench role.
Jordan Poole talks about differences with Kyle Kuzma in their approach to the game
In the same Yahoo! Sports interview, Jordan Poole also commented about how his approach to guiding the team vastly differs from Kyle Kuzma's.
"We're also such big personalities," Poole said. "A little bit different, a little bit of polar opposites. He's more outgoing, I'm more, like, internalized. But we know what it takes in order to build relationships, talk to people, get your teammates on the same page just as people, not just players. That goes such a long way."
From Poole's comments, he is aware that Kuzma takes on a more vocal approach with the team, especially during open runs. Jordan Poole sees it as an advantage in their tandem together, as he goes a different way about it but both remain on the same page when it comes to comradery and winning at an elite level.
In the seven games that Poole has played this season, he has averaged 17.4 points (41.5% shooting, including 31.9% from 3-point range) and 3.3 assists per game.