During the Washington Wizards‘ roster overhaul, Jordan Poole was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for CJ McCollum leading up to draft night. The Wizards would go on to draft Poole’s eventual replacement in Tre Johnson with their sixth pick. With NBA media day in full swing, Poole took no time taking a jab at anyone in Washington who ever set him a screen.
Former Wizards Star Takes Shot At Washington Roster
During the Pelicans’ media day on Tuesday, Poole was talking about his reunion with Kevon Looney, who played with him in Golden State, including on the 2022 championship team.
“I am super excited. I haven’t had a good screen in two years, so it’ll be dope,” Poole said.
Poole has always been known to hold a grudge. After his now-infamous altercation with Draymond Green during a Warriors’ practice, Poole was shipped to D.C and never stopped talking about it.
Why It Matters
Poole’s comments should come as a surprise to the young players he was actively mentoring. Additionally, Poole received a screen from big men like Alex Sarr, the now-traded Kyle Kuzma, and Jonas Valančiūnas, among other notable players. This not only puts a strain on any type of relationship with these players, but also could spark something a little bit bigger over the course of the next few seasons.
Potential Rivalry?
The Wizards are ushering in the second phase of their strong-looking rebuild. As mentioned, they drafted Johnson to replace Poole as their primary scorer and eventually take a playmaking role. Johnson could become everything the Wizards had hoped Poole would become, if not better. Not to mention, while the Pelicans look strong, Washington isn’t far off from where they are currently. Until the trade, the Pelicans appeared directionless, having traded Zion Williamson‘s co-star, Brandon Ingram, and with half of the roster unable to stay healthy.
With both rosters looking stronger and Poole’s replacement eager to make an impact, there is a possibility of a new-age rivalry between the two franchises.
The Ex-Star vs. Rookie Star
This upcoming season, the Wizards and Pelicans play in January and March, so it’ll be interesting to see how Jordan Poole’s comments affect both teams in the long term. Will Poole hold a similar grudge if the Pelicans are locked playoff contenders by March?
It’s up in the air. However, the Wizards should certainly keep his comments in mind. Poole was their leader and mentor; multiple players posted pictures of him in support when he was traded. These comments can’t feel like anything less than a back-stabbing betrayal.
With one game in Washington, another interesting storyline to watch will be how the fans receive Poole when he returns. No doubt, he was their best player last year and is a big reason why the team won 15 games. Without him, Washington no doubt wouldn’t have won more than 10 games. They arguably could’ve ended up the worst team of all-time.
Now with Johnson and the roster revamped, Washington could certainly push past the win mark set last season. In turn, it could make both matchups with the Pelicans a little more interesting. Poole couldn’t lead the team to a 20-win season in either of his two seasons. The current roster, however, could easily surpass 20, maybe even 30, if they choose to forgo the tank.
The Last Word
Whatever happens, rivalry or not, Poole slighted the entire team with his comments at media day. Not only should Washington look to push back on him, but maybe hit him with a really nice double screen come time to play in D.C.
© Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
The post Former Wizards Star Takes Shot At Washington Roster appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.