DNP! A disastrous trade deal! The Warriors' championship guard has suffered a steep decline.

Last summer during the offseason, the Pelicans sent CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, and a future second-round pick to the Wizards to acquire Poole, Saddiq Bey, and the 40th pick in the 2025 second round.

The Pelicans initially placed great confidence in Poole, naming him a key starting perimeter player, but ultimately he did not live up to those expectations,and now he has been removed from the rotation and listed as a trade asset, having been a DNP for two straight games.

So far this season, Poole has played 28 games with 6 starts, averaging 25.4 minutes, 14.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.9 turnovers per game, with shooting percentages of 37%, 33.6%, and 87.6%.His offensive efficiency is extremely poor and he has been unable to effectively facilitate the team’s offense; the Pelicans currently sit last in the Western Conference with a 12-37 record.

This former Warriors championship guard is under contract until the summer of 2027, earning $31.85 million this season and $34.04 million next season.

With such a high salary not tied to a contract year, it’s unlikely any team will take Poole this season; a trade might only be possible during this summer’s offseason or mid-next season.

Before this season, Poole averaged over 20 points per game in single seasons with the Wizards (24-25) and Warriors (22-23), but since joining the Pelicans his performance has sharply declined. Born June 19, 1999, he is only 26 years old, supposedly in the prime years of his basketball career.

If Poole continues this poor form without improvement, he may go unsigned after becoming a free agent in the summer of 2027 and effectively exit the NBA — this is not an exaggeration, as he is currently not even qualified to be a rotation player.

When Poole was with the Warriors, he was even seen as Curry’s successor; after leaving Golden State, he was considered the next Harden.

However, reality has proven to be very different from those ideals, and the greater the expectations, the deeper the disappointment.