Why Warriors Should Not Target Key 2022 Title Piece at Trade Deadline

Jordan Poole could on the move by the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel wrote that Poole has suddenly been made expendable to the Pelicans due to the emergence of rookie Jeremiah Fears and the impending return of Dejounte Murray.

Of course, for some this discussion will begin and end with the fact that Draymond Green punched Poole in the face in October 2022.

If the Warriors make a move for Poole, they'll have to consider how Green and Poole will mesh.

But even if the Warriors believe they could coexist again, there are a few reasons the Warriors should not target a key piece to their 2022 championship team.

Poole Wouldn't Fix Enough of Their Problems

To be fair, Poole would help fix what's arguably their biggest problem. The Warriors are 29th in points in the paint per game. Poole led the team in that stat during the 2021-22 championship run, which is why Golden State would have to at least consider getting him back.

But the Warriors' other issues are turnovers, point-of-attack defense, size and rebounding, and Poole would arguably hurt more than help in all of these.

Poole has a 4th percentile Defensive EPM this season, per Dunks and Threes. He's 6'4", which would add to the Warriors' size and rebounding concerns.

For someone who creates as much offense as he does, Poole is not a turnover machine. But his high-risk, high-reward style of play certainly won't fix Golden State's turnover issues.

Other Trade Targets Would Help the Warriors More

The Warriors would love to get a big and a wing this trade deadline, but it's no guarantee they'll get both.

If they are going all-in on a big, they should go for Ivica Zubac or Myles Turner.

Zubac would be the most impactful paint scorer and rebounder they could get.

Turner is not much of a paint scorer, but he would help the Warriors in several areas due to his three-point shooting (39 percent) and shot-blocking prowess (1.7 per game).

If the Warriors go the wing route, Herb Jones or Trey Murphy III would fit in nicely. Either could be a defensive stopper with size that the Warriors lack.

Murphy would be more expensive as someone who scores in the paint (7.5 paint points per game) and the perimeter (2.9 threes per game).

Jones is not a prolific scorer, but he's a better all-around defender than Murphy, and that shows up in a lot of ways. For example, when Jones is on the floor, the Pelicans get 72 percent of the available defensive rebounds. When he's off the floor, that number falls to 67 percent.

Why Poole Was a Better Fit in 2022 Than Today

I'm not here to discredit Poole's contributions to the 2022 title team. Poole averaged 17 points per game that postseason, ranking just ahead of Andrew Wiggins for third on the team.

That team had a reliable nucleus of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Green and Wiggins. It also had three plus defenders to fill out the rotation in Kevon Looney, Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II.

Poole was the only defensive liability among the Warriors' main rotation of eight players. But Golden State could work around that with excellent team defense. That allowed Poole to work his magic on the offensive end, which he did in a outstanding playoff run.

Today's Warriors don't have the size and two-impact of that 2022 eight-man rotation. Curry, Green and Jimmy Butler can mask a lot of issues, but they need more two-way help than Poole is capable of.

Poole is making $31.9 million this season, so to make this move, the Dubs would have to include Jonathan Kuminga ($22.5 million) and more salary. Kuminga is their salary matcher for Turner and Murphy and so many of their other potential trade targets. They wouldn't be able to address their other weaknesses after trading for Poole.

That's why the Warriors should look elsewhere this trade deadline.