Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob doubled down on Steve Kerr's previous explanation on why the team traded Jordan Poole, admitting that they felt it was time for a change.
To recall, after the Warriors sent Poole to the Washington Wizards in a trade for Chris Paul, Kerr opened up about their rationale behind the deal and pointed out that they “sensed” they “needed a shift.”
“Didn't mean we needed an overhaul, but we needed a shift of some sort. I think everybody in the organization sensed that. And it feels like we’ve made a pretty significant shift without giving up our identity and our sense of who we are as a team. I think, all in all, it’s a very positive shift,” Kerr furthered.
Now, Lacob shared similar sentiments while speaking with Madeline Kenney of Mercury News, emphasizing that it was a decision they needed to do. The Draymond Green punching incident with Poole clearly had a negative impact on the team, and Lacob's admission only adds fuel to the belief that it's a big reason why the Dubs pulled the trigger on the Poole-Paul deal.
Lacob, however, expressed optimism that having Paul will help elevate Golden State back to title contention.
“We had to change something. While it's a short-term move, Chris Paul is a fabulous Hall of Famer who will I think certainly help our second unit, help our first unit if he plays there, wherever he plays, he’s a tremendous guy,” Lacob said before clarifying that the coaches have yet to decide whether to start CP3 or have him come off the bench.
After the Warriors won the title in 2022, many thought that Jordan Poole would be Stephen Curry's heir apparent in Golden State and take over when he calls it a career. Naturally, it came as a surprise when the team dealt Poole away.
However, as Joe Lacob and Steve Kerr hinted, they really needed to make a choice between him and Green seeing that things wouldn't work after that punching incident. And considering the Dubs' desire to compete for a championship in the remaining prime years of Curry, keeping Green was the choice they thought made the most sense.
Poole is now moving on with the Wizards, which could actually be beneficial for him. He has the opportunity to be his own man and grow into a franchise player, something that he wouldn't have gotten so soon if he's still in Golden State.
As for the Warriors, hopes are high that Paul's addition will give them that much-needed boost to compete for the title once again. CP3's best days might be behind him, but he remains a quality point guard who could bring some variety to the Dubs' offense.
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