Thanks to a WOJ BOMB, we may finally get the official announcement of the Bradley Beal trade soon, because we know where Chris Paul is going.
Per Adrian Wojnarowski, the Wizards and Warriors are finalizing a deal to send Paul, who is one of the players they’re acquiring from Phoenix for Beal, out to Golden State in a trade that includes Jordan Poole, Ryan Rollins, a 2027 second-rounder and a 2030 protected first-rounder.
listen live to steiny and guru on 95.7 the game
That last asset can be part of the deal because Poole’s contract has a poison pill provision if he is traded before July 1, so the deal likely won’t be finalized until after this year’s draft, opening up 2030 picks.
Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes reports that the Warriors intend to keep Paul and are "looking forward to partnering with the star to make a championship run."
Poole, 23, would then seemingly be the first building block of the new Wizards regime, as he will begin a four-year extension worth up to $140 million this coming season. Of that total, $123 million is guaranteed, with $17 million possible in incentives (but only $2 million classified as ‘likely to be earned’ and thus held against the cap).
The Wizards would be able to absorb the difference between Paul’s $20.8 million in salary in 2023-24 and Poole’s $27.45 million thanks to a trade exception they will get in the Beal deal.
Poole was a key figure in the Warriors’ 2022 title run, and last year, he played in all 82 games (starting 43) and averaged 20.4 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 30 minutes per game.
Should this be the final machination of the efforts to clear Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis off the books, the Wizards will end up with a building block in Poole, three expiring contracts (Tyus Jones, Danilo Gallinari, and Mike Muscala), Landry Shamet (who has three years left but only one guaranteed), and a slew of yet-to-be-determined future draft assets.