As a rookie scout with the Golden State Warriors, Mike Dunleavy Jr.'s affinity for Jordan Poole was instrumental in the team's decision to select the Michigan guard in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft. Four years and one major promotion later, Dunleavy found himself in the unenviable position of finding Poole a new NBA home. Once it became clear Chris Paul was available in a potential trade, though, the Dubs' newly minted general manager didn't hesitate whatsoever to pull the trigger.

Dunleavy opened up on his thought process behind swapping Poole for Paul on the latest edition of Dubs Talk, insisting he “didn't lose much sleep” over a deal he believes makes the Warriors better in 2023-24 and provides them much-needed additional flexibility going forward.

“Honestly, in a lot of ways, it was an easy move because I felt it would make our team better, and it gave us a decent amount of flexibility going forward, so to me it wasn't that tough,” Dunleavy told Monte Poole and Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “…To have an opportunity to address some needs and clear up some financial relief, for me, honestly, didn't lose much sleep over that one.”

Golden State traded Poole to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Paul on June 22nd, in the hours leading up to the 2023 NBA Draft. Though the blockbuster trade sent shockwaves across the league, that the Dubs felt compelled to move on from Poole was hardly surprising.

He was borderline unplayable against the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers during the Warriors' brief playoff run, fallout from the preseason punch Poole took to the face from Draymond Green reaching an untenable breaking point. Once Green and the team made clear both sides were interested in a new long-term contract immediately after Golden State finished its title defense, the writing was on the wall for Poole's future in the Bay Area.

Paul serving as the centerpiece of a Poole trade, though, was a stunning turn of events, nonetheless. His prickly relationship with Dubs powerbrokers has been well-documented, and the Point God isn't exactly a seamless lineup fit with Stephen Curry. But he's still an impact player at age 38 with a $30 million salary for 2024-25 that's nonguaranteed, giving cash-strapped Golden State the crucial option to retain Poole's initial salary slot in another trade involving Paul before the February trade deadline.

It remains to be seen how well Paul will assimilate with the Warriors. Considering Poole's deflated trade value and Paul's unique contractual status, though, it makes sense Dunleavy wasn't tossing and turning over the first major move he made as Golden State's lead personnel decision-maker, no matter how controversially it's viewed by some members of Dub Nation.