25. Jordan Poole, Washington Wizards
As one of the most polarizing players heading into the 2023-24 NBA season, Jordan Poole carries a lot of intrigue as he makes the move from Golden State to Washington. In a vacuum, the move in itself was quite surprising. The Warriors giving up on a 24-year-old offensive wizard seems incredibly short-sighted. You’d almost have to imagine that there was something else going on behind the scenes to prompt such a move. Nevertheless, it’s one that could end up biting the Warriors in the back down the line and one that could help jump-start Washington’s rebuild.
Even in a “down” season, Poole averaged 20 points and five assists on 43 percent shooting from the field. He started 43 games for the often-injured Warriors last season but is in line to be the full starter in Washington. He’ll now be one of the primary offensive players with the Wizards and it should be interesting to see how he continues to develop.
Poole is extremely talented, but he’s also so raw. There’s some honing that needs to take place in his game and if he can continue to take steps forward as a player, he can be ranked higher on this list moving forward. It’s not just about talent for Poole, it’s about maturity in his game in a way that helps him become the right difference-maker for his team.