Jordan Poole's Pelicans Future Hinges on Rest of Season

When the New Orleans Pelicans acquired guard Jordan Poole from the Washington Wizards last offseason, the idea was to infuse a younger scorer on the roster to alleviate pressure off of Zion Williamson. The deal sent an older veteran in CJ McCollum to Washington in exchange for a younger scoring guard. Poole was viewed as a forgotten man in Washington after a successful run with the Golden State Warriors at the start of his career. Instead of being an integral part of the offense this season, the former first-round pick has been a fixture on the Pelicans' bench the last few weeks.

Poole was a healthy scratch in the six games before the trade deadline, causing real questions about whether he would remain on the roster past February 5. Ultimately, the team could not find a trade partner for the veteran guard, and he will remain on the roster for at least the rest of this season. Since then, he has been a DNP-Coach's Decision for three more games.

Benching him for the remainder of the year certainly won’t boost his trade value in the interim, but could the Pelicans use the remaining 26 games as a “showcase” for teams this offseason?

What Will Jordan Poole's Role Be for Pelicans in the Final Stretch?

Interim head coach James Borrego benched Poole in late January because of his inconsistent play on the court. His field goal percentage has plummeted this year to 37%, his worst since his rookie year in the league. Poole is making $31 million this season, and that cap hit increases to $34 million next year, which is too hard a pill to swallow given his performance.

There is also the imminent return of Dejounte Murray to the lineup soon after his Achilles tendon injury last season. The Pelicans are in a similar place with him. Murray is owed over $30 million next season as well, and the duo has not played one game together this season.

Many figure New Orleans will shop one or both players this offseason to avail itself of one of those bad contracts, but the only way to find a trade partner is to allow both players to rehabilitate their trade value for the remainder of the season.

Poole averaged a career-high in points (20.5) and three-point percentage (37.8) last season in Washington and was a key member off the bench in the Warriors' title run in 2022. The talent for the 6-foot-4 guard is there, but his questionable shot selection and poor situational awareness have been extremely prevalent this year in New Orleans.

Things get even murkier for the Pelicans because they do not own their first-round pick next season. They dealt it in a draft night move to acquire rookie Derik Queen from the Atlanta Hawks. Given Poole’s play and his albatross of a contract, New Orleans may have to attach another future pick to remove his contract from the books.

Whatever time Poole may receive over the last 26 games should not take away from any valuable time for rookie guard Jeremiah Fears. The former Oklahoma guard is part of the future in New Orleans, with the home stretch of the season used to help fast-track his and Queen's development heading into next season. New Orleans would likely bring Poole off the bench, keeping Fears in a larger role.

With a 15-41 record coming out of the All-Star break, the Pelicans should not jeopardize the development of their young players and have to prioritize options that allow them to improve for next season.

Whether he finds his rhythm in New Orleans or becomes a salary-match piece in a summer blockbuster, the next few months will determine if Poole can regain his status as a dynamic scorer in this league.

What Will Jordan Poole's Role Be for Pelicans in the Final Stretch?

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