<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-jordan-poole-so-lit-message-after-nola-signs-kevon-looney');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jordan Poole’s ‘so lit’ message after Pelicans sign Kevon Looney');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Pelicans-teammates-Jordan-Poole-and-Kevon-Looney-with-Warriors-Stephen-Curry.jpg"><figcaption>© Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jordan Poole’s ‘so lit’ message after Pelicans sign Kevon Looney</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T21:03:18-07:00">June 30th, 9:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T21:03:18-07:00">June 30th, 9:03pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After a putrid 2024-25 campaign in which they won just 21 games, the New Orleans Pelicans are looking to return to playoff contention for the upcoming season. To further their cause, they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-new-orleans-signs-3-time-nba-champion-warriors-free-agency">signed three-time champion Kevon Looney</a> to a two-year, $16 million deal in the first day of free agency, bolstering their frontcourt and giving it the rebounding muscle that they sorely needed.</p><p>The signing of Looney allows the Pelicans to bring along their young big men, Yves Missi and Derik Queen, more slowly. And at such a low cost, this shouldn’t prohibit New Orleans from making other moves to improve the roster. This signing, while crowding their frontcourt even further, is also going to bring some much-needed leadership and level-headedness in the team’s locker room.</p><p>All in all, the Pelicans’ decision to sign Looney should help their cause for the 2025-26 season. And this also reunites Looney with a former teammate of his on the Golden State Warriors in Jordan Poole — someone he won a championship with back in 2022. Poole is <a href="https://twitter.com/DaltonJ_Johnson/status/1939840055633428785" rel="noopener">definitely ecstatic</a> that he’ll be teaming up with a familiar, beloved face.</p><p>“Omg!!! It’s so lit,” Poole wrote as the caption on his Instagram story welcoming Looney to the Big Easy, via Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jordan Poole is very happy to reunite with Kevon Looney <a href="https://t.co/PojEdfnV3N">pic.twitter.com/PojEdfnV3N</a></p><p>— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaltonJ_Johnson/status/1939840055633428785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-steve-kerr-kevon-looney-role">Looney was a fixture for the Warriors</a> for a decade, but he’s now embarking on a new chapter heading into the start of his 11th season in the NBA. Everyone on the Warriors organization raves about what a good influence Looney is and what a rock he is for the locker room, and he should be a positive influence on a young Pelicans team that lost some leadership after they traded away CJ McCollum (for Poole) earlier this offseason.</p><h2><b>Pelicans reunite former Warriors champs in Kevon Looney and Jordan Poole</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_1491.jpeg"><figcaption>Robert Edwards-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>At the very least, Looney’s exit from the Warriors is graceful, unlike Poole’s. As one would recall, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-surprised-jordan-poole-didnt-move-on-after-punch">Poole was basically forced out of Golden State</a> after they prioritized Draymond Green over him in the aftermath of the punch heard around the world back in 2022.</p><p>Nonetheless, both of them are now aiming to do their part in bringing the Pelicans back to the winning track. Poole and Looney project to be valuable bench pieces for a New Orleans squad that now has considerable depth across all positions.</p><p>Health permitting, the Pelicans look poised to at least compete for a play-in tournament spot in a stacked Western Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jordan Poole’s ‘so lit’ message after Pelicans sign Kevon Looney

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-surprised-jordan-poole-didnt-move-on-after-punch');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors’ Draymond Green was surprised Jordan Poole didn’t move on after getting KO’d');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jordan-Poole-Draymond-Green-and-Stephen-Curry-in-action.jpg"><figcaption>Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Warriors’ Draymond Green was surprised Jordan Poole didn’t move on after getting KO’d</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T00:17:23-07:00">June 25th, 12:17am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-26T15:29:10-07:00">June 26th, 3:29pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When the final buzzer sounds on his career, Draymond Green will leave behind one of the more complicated legacies in modern NBA history. He is guaranteed Hall of Fame enshrinement in Springfield, Mass., and could go down as the second-most important member of the Golden State Warriors dynasty.</p><p>But the veteran forward has also proven to be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/metta-world-peace-gets-real-on-where-warriors-draymond-greens-anger-issues-stem-from">a volatile force</a> on several occasions, costing his team wins with tirades and tantrums.</p><p>He recently reflected on what many fans consider to be his most egregious indiscretion. While appearing on “The Pivot Podcast,” which is hosted by former NFL players Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor, Green once again opened up about his 2022 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-steve-kerr-honest-on-draymond-green-jordan-poole-incident">physical altercation with former teammate Jordan Poole</a>.</p><p>The four-time champion punched the young guard in the face during a Warriors preseason practice, an infamous incident that hung over the then-defending champions all season long.</p><p>Green <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1937745538348384337" rel="noopener">offered an interesting perspective</a> on the whole situation, which he expressed remorse for once again.</p><p>“Age 33, 34, 35, I still learn those lessons,” Green said in the not safe for work (NSFW) interview, via ClutchPoints. “That situation happened, and I’m like, ‘cool we move on.’ And then when we couldn’t, I was like, ‘huh.’ And for a while, it made me think like, ‘man, this dude’s nothing like me,’ because when those things happen, you just move on. But it taught me so much.</p><p>‘”You’re right, he may not be like you. He ain’t from where you’re from. The things you went through, the way you had to come up, he may not have came up like that.’ For that five seconds, I forgot where I was at because I immediately went to what I know. But what you know don’t really work here.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“For that five seconds, I forgot where I was at…’man I f*cked that up.’”</p><p>Draymond Green lays it all about punching Jordan Poole and what it ultimately led to 🗣️</p><p>(via realrclark/IG)<a href="https://t.co/n2ZXmBEO6B">pic.twitter.com/n2ZXmBEO6B</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1937745538348384337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Ex-Warriors teammates have experienced a lot since infamous exchange</b></h2><p>Although Jordan Poole, Golden State and their fans wish Draymond Green had this kind of outlook back in 2022, it is nice to hear him explain his thought process. He seems to understand what his temper and short-sighted approach did to the team during that tense time.</p><p>Poole has dealt with his own maturity questions, and may have a different viewpoint than he did when the exchange initially happened.</p><p>In any case, both men have pressing concerns to deal with moving into next season. Green and the Warriors are focused on doing everything necessary to win another title before Bay Area basketball undergoes an inevitable and complete identity change at some point in the future.</p><p>Poole must adjust to his new reality after being <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-wizards-trade-grades-for-jordan-poole-cj-mccollum-swap">traded by the Washington Wizards</a> to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. Despite their troublesome past, they will forever be linked by the Larry O’Brien Trophy.</p><p>Winning a championship together usually means something. Regardless of if Green and Poole hang out any time soon, the former appears to have found some clarity. Hopefully, it is on display the next time he has the urge to unleash his fury in a Warriors game.</p><p>“You’re still learning,” the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year told Ryan Clark. “It’s [those] lessons that ultimately make me who I am to this day because, man, I f****d that up.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors’ Draymond Green was surprised Jordan Poole didn’t move on after getting KO’d

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-wizards-trade-grades-for-jordan-poole-cj-mccollum-swap');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans, Wizards trade grades for Jordan Poole-CJ McCollum swap');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Washington-Wizards-guard-Jordan-Poole.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans, Wizards trade grades for Jordan Poole-CJ McCollum swap</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T13:56:31-07:00">June 24th, 1:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-24T13:56:31-07:00">June 24th, 1:56pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards both finished near the bottom of their conferences. However, both teams had different obstacles throughout the season. The Pelicans were ravaged by injuries, including one that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-cj-mccollum-shut-down-rest-season">ended CJ McCollum’s season in late March</a>. The Wizards, on the other hand, started the season hoping Jordan Poole could lead their group of young players.</p><p>When <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-wizards-cj-mccollum-jordan-poole-trade">New Orleans and Washington swapped McCollum and Poole</a>, fans wondered which team made out in the deal. The Pelicans have a younger, shoot-first guard to put alongside Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III. The Wizards get another veteran to help teach their young players with Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart.</p><p>Here are our trade grades for the McCollum-Poole deal for each team.</p><h2>New Orleans Pelicans: B+</h2><p>When New Orleans traded for Poole, it cleared up one of the biggest problems with their backcourt. Murray and McCollum co-existed well enough last season, but the overall offense struggled. Now, the Pelicans have a former champion who has no problem taking his shots when they come.</p><p>While he is not as good of a spot-up shooter, Poole could thrive in the chaos that Williamson causes as the ball-handler. Defensively, Poole does not offer much improvement over McCollum. However, with Murray back from injury and wings like Murphy III and Herb Jones, he won’t have to do much on that end of the floor.</p><p>Poole proved that he can still get his own shot when an offensive possession falls apart. At 33 years old, McCollum is not as fast as he used to be and struggles to get a step on defenders. Poole’s energy makes a big difference on a team looking to replicate the Indiana Pacers’ style of play. Getting <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1937589524114104829" rel="noopener">Saddiq Bey and a draft pick</a> in the deal should not be overlooked, either.</p><h2>Washington Wizards: B</h2><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-khris-middleton-wizards-kyle-kuzma-trade">Washington brought in Middleton</a>, Smart, and now McCollum to bring some balance to their roster. They could be trying to mimic what the Oklahoma Thunder did this season. Alex Caruso, Kenrich Williams, and Isaiah Hartenstein were crucial to the maturity of the NBA champions.</p><p>At the very least, all three veterans are on expiring deals that will help clear the Wizards’ books before next summer. Washington’s rebuild started when they traded Bradley Beal away in 2023. Two seasons later, they already have four young players that could develop into stars. The Wizards could make it five if they hit on the No. 6 pick in the NBA Draft.</p><p>Washington and general manager Will Dawkins is not trying to win this season. However, moves like this one set the team up well moving forward without wasting the season. Now, it is up to head coach Brian Keefe to convince his veterans to impart as much wisdom as he can on players like Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans, Wizards trade grades for Jordan Poole-CJ McCollum swap

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-wizards-cj-mccollum-jordan-poole-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans, Wizards make CJ McCollum-Jordan Poole trade involving 4 players');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/New-Orleans-Pelicans-guard-CJ-McCollum.jpg"><figcaption>Scott Wachter-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans, Wizards make CJ McCollum-Jordan Poole trade involving 4 players</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T12:21:48-07:00">June 24th, 12:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-24T13:19:17-07:00">June 24th, 1:19pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans are <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1937589524114104829" rel="noopener">trading</a> veteran guard CJ McCollum to the Washington Wizards in a package that sends Jordan Poole to New Orleans, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.</p><p>McCollum is heading to the Wizards along with Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick in exchange for Poole, Saddiq Bey, and the 40th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Pelicans now own the 7th, 23rd, and 40th picks in this year’s draft after agreeing to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/indiana-pacers/pacers-news-draft-trade-pelicans-before-nba-finals-game-6">trades with the Indiana Pacers</a> and the Wizards over the last week.</p><p>As he enters the final year of his contract, McCollum embarks on a new journey with his third different team after spending the last four seasons in New Orleans. He will make $30.6 million before entering free agency in 2026.</p><p>With a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-hire-joe-dumars-after-firing-david-griffin">new regime taking over for the Pelicans led by Joe Dumars</a>, this front office had been searching for ways to actively improve their roster around Zion Williamson. McCollum entering the final year of his contract provided the organization with a path to unload salary and immediately find an upgrade at a position of need.</p><p>The Pelicans have long been seeking backcourt help, and since <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-dejounte-murray-season-ending-leg-injury-celtics">Dejounte Murray is still recovering from an Achilles injury</a> he suffered during the 2024-25 season, Poole will slide into a starting role in the backcourt.</p><p>Poole, 26, was a key part of the Golden State Warriors’ championship run in 2022 before he was ultimately <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-golden-state-agrees-jordan-poole-chris-paul-trade-with-wizards">traded to the Wizards in 2023 for Chris Paul</a>. This was a temporary move Washington made at the time, as they have now flipped Poole for quick cap relief.</p><p>In his two seasons with the Wizards, Poole averaged 18.8 points and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 35.3 percent from 3-point range. His dynamic play and ability to push the pace provide the Pelicans with playmaking and speed at the point guard position, two things they lacked with McCollum.</p><p>Bey is another intriguing player for the Pelicans to add to their roster. The 26-year-old forward spent all of the 2024-25 season <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-saddiq-bey-season-ending-torn-acl">recovering from an ACL injury</a> he suffered in March 2024. Before this injury, Bey was a rising scoring wing on a lot of teams’ radar, and he even participated in Team USA activities during the offseason when he was with the Detroit Pistons.</p><p>He will make $6.1 million during the 2025-26 season with two years left on his current contract. This is an intriguing addition for the Pelicans, who already have Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones on the wing. It has become clear that the Pelicans have an agenda to add length and scorers on the wing, which is why taking a low-cost chance on Bey makes sense.</p><p>Both Poole and Bey are 26 years old, putting them on the same timeline as Williamson (24) and Murphy (25).</p><p>Along with sending McCollum to Washington, Olynyk and a future second-round pick are also now in the Wizards’ hands.</p><p>Olynyk was traded to the Pelicans before the trade deadline in February as part of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-pelicans-trade-brandon-ingram-nba-deadline">Brandon Ingram trade with the Toronto Raptors.</a> This will be the eighth team Olynyk has played for, although he will likely be on the move at some point in the near future since he will make $13.4 million in the final year of his contract.</p><p>Last season, Olynyk averaged 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 41.8 percent in 44 combined games with the Raptors and Pelicans.</p><p>By leveraging Poole and Bey, the Wizards were able to move off long-term contracts in favor of two proven veterans on expiring deals. When factoring in the other expiring contracts Washington owns with Khris Middleton, Marcus Smart, and Richaun Holmes, the Wizards are projected to have close to $100 million in cap space for the 2026 offseason.</p><p>The Wizards continue to build on their young core, and they now have more experienced talents to help mold their recent draft picks and take them under their wings.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans, Wizards make CJ McCollum-Jordan Poole trade involving 4 players

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-jordan-poole-mentioned-trade-candidate-ahead-nba-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: Jordan Poole mentioned as trade candidate ahead of NBA Draft');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Wizards-Jordan-Poole-2.jpg"><figcaption>© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: Jordan Poole mentioned as trade candidate ahead of NBA Draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-11T21:47:20-07:00">June 11th, 9:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-12T07:19:57-07:00">June 12th, 7:19am</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Washington Wizards general manager Will Dawkins and team president Michael Winger had just taken over when they flipped <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/warriors-news-golden-state-agrees-jordan-poole-chris-paul-trade-with-wizards">Chris Paul to the Golden State Warriors</a> for a package including Jordan Poole in July 2023. Almost two years later, Poole’s name is <a href="https://www.nbabigboard.com/p/front-office-intel-player-buzz-and?utm_content=buffer9f31f&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=email-post&amp;r=3shtjf" rel="noopener">swirling in trade rumors</a>, via NBA Big Board’s Rafael Barlowe.</p><p>“Also worth noting — around the league, there’s growing belief that Jordan Poole could be moved, either on draft night or later this summer,” he reported on Wednesday. “That potential shake-up adds another layer to Washington’s draft strategy and could open up a path for a new backcourt face.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-news-jordan-poole-honest-dc-three-point-record">Poole’s Washington tenure</a> has been a mutually beneficial partnership. After coming off the bench for the Warriors, the Wizards converted the Michigan alum into a full-time starter for the first time in his NBA career, which helped him develop into a more efficient shooter (career-high 37.8 percent clip from deep this season). In return, he mentored the team’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-news-jordan-poole-bilal-coulibaly-elite-defender">young core of Bilal Coulibaly</a>, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George.</p><p>However, the timelines don’t match up for a long-term marriage. Poole has two years left on his contract, and Washington still isn’t close to contending. The soon-to-be-26-year-old is just entering his prime, and would fit better as a starter or sixth man on a contender.</p><p>Whether a deal happens this offseason, at the February trade deadline, or next summer depends on if the Wizards get a valuable enough offer to deal him. What would that look like?</p><h2><b>Wizards-Magic Jordan Poole trade makes sense for right price</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jordan-Poole-13-handles-the-ball-against-Orlando-Magic-guard-Cory-Joseph-10.jpg"><figcaption>© Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Fans on social media have pointed out that Poole would fit in well with the Orlando Magic. They have a budding frontcourt duo of Paolo Banchero (25.9 points per game this season) and Franz Wagner (24.1 PPG) to go with shooting guard Jalen Suggs (16.2 PPG), all aged 24 or younger. However, their offense needs help, as they ranked 28th with 105.4 points per game and 27th with a 108.9 offensive rating. An athletic scorer/playmaker like Poole could give them the jolt they need.</p><p>Additionally, the 2019 first-round pick has <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/orlando-magic/magic-news-jordan-poole-details-close-ties-with-paolo-banchero-orlando-roster">worked out with Banchero</a> and has a relationship with several Magic players. In March, he referred to the team as “Michigan University,” as Franz Wagner, Mo Wagner, Caleb Houstan, and Jett Howard are all fellow alumni. Therefore, he could be a good locker-room fit as well.</p><p>Meanwhile, Orlando has draft capital that Washington could use to accelerate its rebuild. Here’s a <a href="https://fanspo.com/nba/trade-machine" rel="noopener">sensible deal for both sides</a> using the Fanspo NBA Trade Machine.</p><p><b>Magic receive:</b></p><p>Jordan Poole</p><p>2025 No. 40 overall pick (via PHX)</p><p><b>Wizards receive:</b></p><p>2025 No. 16 overall pick</p><p>Kentavious Caldwell-Pope</p><p>Jonathan Isaac</p><p>It won’t be easy for Washington to land the No. 16 pick for Poole, but his contract gives it leverage. There’s no urgent need to deal him right now other than the possibility of landing another 2025 first, which it could use to either select a player or trade up in the draft. However, the club is far from desperate, as it owns the Nos. 6 and 18 picks. If it doesn’t get a worthy offer this summer, it can simply wait another year.</p><p>On the other hand, Orlando would add a career 16.8 PPG scorer (20.5 this season) to a young core that has made the playoffs twice in a row without him, and could at least become a second-round team with him next year. Shedding Caldwell-Pope and Isaac’s salaries would also save it $4.8 million in cap space, putting it just $2.3 million over the first apron.</p><p>The Wizards are still searching for a star, but Poole is an appreciating asset they can use to help them draft one sometime over the next year-and-a-half.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards rumors: Jordan Poole mentioned as trade candidate ahead of NBA Draft

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-rumors-brandin-podziemski-trade-proponents-want-player-like-jordan-poole');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors rumors: Brandin Podziemski trade proponents want a player more like Jordan Poole');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Brandin-Podziemski-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Warriors rumors: Brandin Podziemski trade proponents want a player more like Jordan Poole</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-15T09:17:32-07:00">May 15th, 9:17am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-15T09:32:31-07:00">May 15th, 9:32am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Following the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-joe-lacob-stephen-curry-injury-timberwolves">Golden State Warriors’ elimination from the 2025 NBA Playoffs</a> in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-defiant-message-haters-think-dubs-too-old">121-110 Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves</a>, internal discussions surrounding the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6358151/2025/05/15/warriors-steph-curry-jimmy-butler-future/" rel="noopener">future</a> of second-year guard Brandin Podziemski have resurfaced.</p><p>While Podziemski closed the season on a high note — leading the Warriors with 28 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals on 11-of-19 shooting in the team’s final game — not everyone in the organization is reportedly aligned on his long-term fit. According to a report by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II, there were differing opinions about retaining Podziemski at the trade deadline, with some voices favoring a player with a more aggressive offensive style — specifically referencing a Jordan Poole-type playmaker.</p><p>The report notes that Golden State received “appealing” trade offers for Podziemski prior to the deadline. However, the front office ultimately chose to keep the 22-year-old guard while <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-stephen-curry-urgent-front-office-jimmy-butler-pairing">acquiring Jimmy Butler III from the Miami Heat in a separate deal</a>. The midseason addition of Butler helped catalyze a Warriors turnaround, as the team finished the regular season 48-34 after a 25-27 start.</p><h2><b>Brandin Podziemski shows promise, but some in Warriors camp still seek a Jordan Poole-like player</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Steve-Kerr-right-chats-with-Washington-Wizards-guard-Jordan-Poole-13-after-the-game.jpg"><figcaption>© Robert Edwards-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Podziemski, selected 19th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, showed considerable promise in his second year. He averaged 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 44.5% shooting from the field and 37.2% from beyond the arc across 64 games. However, his impact in the playoffs was more inconsistent. Across 12 postseason appearances, he averaged 11.3 points, five rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting just 36.4% from the field and 32.8% from three.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-steve-kerr-message-to-brandin-podziemski-viral-moment">Podziemski’s Game 5 performance stood out as a reminder of his potential</a>, though the Warriors’ exit once again brought roster questions into focus. While Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards prior to the 2023-24 season, his scoring instincts and ability to create off the dribble were seen as key in Golden State’s 2022 title run. Some within the Warriors’ orbit reportedly believe the current roster lacks a similar dynamic shot creator off the bench — a gap they feel Podziemski does not yet fill.</p><p>Still, the Warriors appear positioned to retain the former Santa Clara standout heading into next season. With both Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler expected to manage age-related workloads — turning 38 and 36 respectively next season — Podziemski is expected to see an expanded role. He is under contract at $3.6 million for the 2025-26 campaign.</p><p>Golden State will enter the offseason balancing development with urgency, as their championship window remains open but narrowing. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves have advanced to the Western Conference Finals for a second consecutive year. They await the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder–Denver Nuggets series, with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-game-6-warning-thunder">Thunder holding a 3-2 advantage heading into Game 6</a> on Thursday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors rumors: Brandin Podziemski trade proponents want a player more like Jordan Poole

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/orlando-magic/magic-rumors-insider-orlando-jordan-poole-collin-sexton-trades');   ga('set', 'title', 'Magic rumors: Insider urges Orlando to pursue Jordan Poole, Collin Sexton trades');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_1486.jpeg"></figure><h1>Magic rumors: Insider urges Orlando to pursue Jordan Poole, Collin Sexton trades</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-30T15:19:02-07:00">April 30th, 3:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-30T15:19:02-07:00">April 30th, 3:19pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/magic-news-franz-wagner-makes-guarantee-after-hard-fought-playoff-loss-to-celtics">Orlando Magic were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs</a> on Tuesday following their 120-89 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/celtics-news-jaylen-brown-gets-real-the-fight-magic-against-first-round-series">loss to the Boston Celtics</a>. As the Magic continue to try and climb the hierarchy in the Eastern Conference, one piece some have suggested the Magic need is a consistent scoring guard. And there is one prominent NBA media voice who has a pair of suggested trades that the Magic should make following their playoff exit.</p><p>Longtime NBA media voice Matt Moore addressed the Magic’s need for a true shooting guard in his most recent column of Hardwood Paroxysm, and <a href="https://hardwoodparoxysm.substack.com/p/the-dearly-playoff-departed-and-those?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=3283378&amp;post_id=162555377&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">suggested that two names</a> the Magic should target in trades following their playoff exit are Jordan Poole and Collin Sexton.</p><p>“They need to take a risk on someone. Two names I would speculatively would look at are Jordan Poole (I know, I know) and Collin Sexton,” Moore writes. “Poole was literally the second most efficient scorer off the dribble this season, and has at least contributed to teams with playoff experience. But those guys aren’t so important to take the ball out of the hands of Wagner and Banchero. This is why the Magic’s challenge this summer is going to be pretty steep.”</p><p>Moore acknowledges that the Magic should not look to add a player that would take shots and usage away from their star players in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. That is why he suggested that someone like Trae Young would not work despite Young’s obvious talent and what he would bring to the Magic.</p><p>While Poole and Sexton can be elite scoring talents, neither player would require less usage from Banchero and Wagner. Sexton has <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/26974/collin-sexton" rel="noopener">one more season</a> on his current contract with the Utah Jazz at just a little over $19 million before he hits unrestricted free agency in 2026, as per Spotrac. Poole has two more seasons on his current deal worth between $31-34 million per year before hitting free agency in 2027.</p><p>Either player could conceivably solve the Magic’s woes at shooting guard. Poole averaged 20.5 points last season while shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 37.8 percent shooting from the three-point line. Sexton averaged 18.4 points, while shooting 48 percent shooting from the field and 40.6 percent shooting from the three-point line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Magic rumors: Insider urges Orlando to pursue Jordan Poole, Collin Sexton trades

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-jordan-poole-honest-dc-three-point-record');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jordan Poole gets honest about D.C. after breaking Wizards three-point record');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Wizards-news-Jordan-Poole-gets-honest-about-DC-after-breaking-three-point-record.jpg"></figure><h1>Jordan Poole gets honest about D.C. after breaking Wizards three-point record</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T13:12:59-07:00">April 1st, 1:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T13:45:56-07:00">April 1st, 1:45pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2024-25 chapter in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-news-washington-rebuilding-lucky-draft-lottery">Washington Wizards’ rebuild</a> could be called “Jordan Poole: Unleashed.” While the development of their young core is the most important storyline for the future, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/wizards-news-jordan-poole-makes-franchise-history-35-point-eruption-vs-heat">Poole’s growth this season</a> has reached historic heights.</p><p>The former NBA champion <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1906898213606432824" rel="noopener">described how he’s changed</a> since his arrival in Washington last season after breaking the franchise single-season made three-point record on Monday night.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">With Jordan Poole breaking the Wizards’ single-season three-point record tonight, I asked how he’s changed since he got to DC last year.</p><p>He mentioned how he’s more comfortable in the environment at this point, as he’s not the type to open up right away. Also credited Coach BK. <a href="https://t.co/kvusPAbeoj">pic.twitter.com/kvusPAbeoj</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1906898213606432824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“In general, I’m definitely more settled. Just being in the city, being around the people in the organization, getting more comfortable,” he said. “I’m a pretty unique person, so I’m not the type to just open up right away. But I think now, just kind of the interactions that I have with my teammates, the coaching staff, the employee staff…It’s just a lot more connected.”</p><p>Poole had a rocky start to his Wizards tenure after the team acquired him from the Golden State Warriors on July 6, 2023. The Michigan alum averaged just 15.6 points on 40 percent shooting (30.3 percent 3 PT) while struggling with shot selection and defense. However, the tide shifted when then-interim head coach Brian Keefe benched him in January 2024.</p><p>Poole immediately improved after that, notching 20.5 points and 4.3 assists on better efficiency in 12 games as a reserve. The 2019 No. 28 overall pick then re-entered the starting lineup after fellow guard Tyus Jones got hurt, and it’s been smooth sailing since.</p><p>Fast forward to now, and Poole owns Washington’s single-season three-point record with a career-high 228 and counting. The 25-year-old passed Bradley Beal’s mark of 223 from the 2016-17 season during Monday’s 120-94 loss to the Miami Heat.</p><p>“It feels more natural, which I’m okay with, just because D.C. as a city is the same way,” he continued. “They don’t open [their] arms and welcome you right away, they’re like, ‘Alright, let’s see who he is, what he does. He has to give us a reason to cheer for him.’ I think that this year I was able to do that.”</p><p>Poole’s description of the District is accurate, as its sports fans are jaded due to the pain they’ve been through. The only championships that the local NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, and WNBA teams have won in the 21st century are the Washington Capitals’ 2018 title as well as the Washington Nationals’ and Mystics’ titles in 2019. Meanwhile, the Wizards haven’t won it all since 1978.</p><p>Poole has now established himself as a positive presence in the city’s sports landscape, and he gives Keefe credit for helping that happen.</p><p>“In terms of my game, I told Coach BK that this doesn’t happen if he doesn’t put me in a position to play my game. I think that was a big, big, big thing last year,” he continued. “That took a lot of people to kind of understand. It ended up coming out later in the season, but during the season, it was kind of like, ‘Why isn’t he playing up to his level?’…I think from the start of the season I’ve been in a position where I’m playing my true position, getting guys involved, playing my game.”</p><p>“We have a nice continuity in general when it comes to our offense, so it’s just been pretty natural. I think this is definitely the version that is most comfortable and most settled when I get going.”</p><h2><b>Wizards’ Tristan Vukevic learns from Bam Adebayo</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Wizards-Tristan-Vukcevic.jpg"><figcaption>© Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Meanwhile, Washington’s 2023 second-round pick Tristan Vukcevic continues to come into his own. The 22-year-old led the team’s bench with 14 points (6-13 FG, 2-6 3 PT) in 22 minutes against Miami while adding four rebounds and one assist. He’s now averaging 11.3 points on 45.5 percent shooting in March after returning from an injury in December.</p><p>Vukcevic said post-game that part of what helps him improve is <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1907135938343432552" rel="noopener">learning from the best</a>, such as Heat (34-41) big man Bam Adebayo.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tristan Vukcevic said after last night’s Heat matchup that he always files away what he observes from elite big men like Bam Adebayo. He specifically pointed out Bam’s pump fakes and patience with the ball inside as qualities he’s learned from the Olympian. <a href="https://t.co/1FJd2DafxR">pic.twitter.com/1FJd2DafxR</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1907135938343432552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Yeah, of course. Every All-Star or big player, especially the big men, having the same position,” the 6-foot-10-inch 220-pounder said. “I mean, I’m not like in the game looking how to get better. I have a memory, and I’ll go home and think about it, watch film the next day with the coaches. I don’t wanna copy anyone, I wanna be my own player, be myself. But there’s definitely always something you can take from each player.”</p><p>Adebayo, a three-time All-Star, dominated with 28 points (11-19 FG, 2-5 3 PT) with 12 rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block in 31 minutes against the Wizards (16-59). While no team enjoys an opposing player imposing their will, the bright side is that Vukcevic got to observe him up close as he tries to secure a long-term backup role in Washington.</p><p>“Just his pump fakes…How when he gets a bump off in the paint, he’s not rushing into his shot,” he mentioned as Adebayo’s best qualities. “He takes his time, and that’s a big thing.”</p><p>With seven games left, Vukcevic is one of several young players who can use the remaining reps to keep establishing himself ahead of a likely transformative offseason for the franchise as it awaits the possibility of drafting Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, or Ace Bailey.</p><p>Up next for the Wizards are home dates with the Sacramento Kings and Orlando Magic on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jordan Poole gets honest about D.C. after breaking Wizards three-point record

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-jordan-poole-makes-franchise-history-35-point-eruption-vs-heat');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards’ Jordan Poole makes franchise history amid 35-point eruption vs. Heat');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Wizards-news-Jordan-Poole-makes-franchise-history-amid-35-point-eruption-vs.-Heat.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards’ Jordan Poole makes franchise history amid 35-point eruption vs. Heat</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T20:38:04-07:00">March 31st, 8:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T20:39:57-07:00">March 31st, 8:39pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jordan Poole’s skill of knocking down 3-pointers at a moment’s notice helped him make history in the Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/heat-news-why-erik-spoelstra-believes-miami-is-trending-in-the-right-direction">Wizards’ game against the Miami Heat</a> on Monday night.</p><p>Going into the game, Poole made 221 triples throughout the season. He needed to make three shots from downtown to surpass former Wizard star Bradley Beal for most 3-pointers made in any season. Beal made 223 shots from downtown during the 2016-17 season.</p><p>Poole was up to the challenge. He knocked down seven triples, standing on top as the <a href="https://x.com/NBA/status/1906852352512102826" rel="noopener">new season record holder</a> for the Wizards.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jordan Poole is now the <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WashWizards</a> single-season record holder in 3-pointers made! 🔥</p><p>224 and counting… <a href="https://t.co/LxOdcRG11e">pic.twitter.com/LxOdcRG11e</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1906852352512102826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>How Jordan Poole, Wizards played against Heat</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jordan-Poole.jpg"><figcaption>Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/wizards-news-jordan-poole-hits-historic-milestone-vs-nets">Jordan Poole’s noteworthy accomplishment</a>, it was the only bright spot in what turned out to be a 120-94 blowout loss for the Wizards.</p><p>The Heat dominated on both sides of the ball, taking a 36-23 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. They also overwhelmed the Wizards on the glass, winning 62-39 in rebounds, which played a major role in Washington’s struggles this game.</p><p>Only two players scored in double-digits for the Wizards. Poole led the way with 35 points, four assists and three rebounds. He shot 10-of-17 from the field, including 7-of-13 from beyond the arc. Tristan Vukcevic came next with 14 points and four rebounds, Carlton Carrington put up eight points and nine assists, while Alex Sarr provided eight points and three rebounds.</p><p>Washington fell to 16-59 on the season, being at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. They are three games behind the Charlotte Hornets and seven games behind the Philadelphia 76ers.</p><p>Following Monday’s loss to the Heat, Jordan Poole and the Wizards will look to rebound in their next matchup. They host the Sacramento Kings on April 2 at 7 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards’ Jordan Poole makes franchise history amid 35-point eruption vs. Heat

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-jordan-poole-alex-sarr-shushing-doubters');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards’ Jordan Poole praises Alex Sarr for ‘shushing’ doubters');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jordan-Poole-praises-Alex-Sarr_16x9.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards’ Jordan Poole praises Alex Sarr for ‘shushing’ doubters</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-28T00:58:30-07:00">March 28th, 12:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-28T13:31:19-07:00">March 28th, 1:31pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/wizards-news-alex-sarr-roasted-hideous-summer-league-game-numbers">Wizards rookie Alex Sarr was roasted</a> by basketball fans online after shooting 9-of-47 in Summer League, including a 0-for-15 performance. However, the 19-year-old <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/kia-rookie-ladder-march-26-2025-edition" rel="noopener">is now third</a> in the NBA Rookie Ladder and has 19-plus points in eight of his last 13 outings. He also became the youngest center in NBA history to score 20 or more points in a game with no free throws in the 119-114 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-alex-sarr-pulls-off-historic-feat-in-win-vs-76ers">win vs. the Philadelphia 76ers</a> on Wednesday.</p><p>Jordan Poole described Sarr’s <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1905445617410678918" rel="noopener">growth after the</a> Wizards’ 162-109 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I asked Jordan Poole to describe the growth he’s seen from Alex Sarr this season. He said that the rookie is “getting more confident” the more he plays and credited him for “shushing the noise” from earlier in the season. <a href="https://t.co/5ccqk4iq11">pic.twitter.com/5ccqk4iq11</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1905445617410678918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I think he’s getting more comfortable throughout the course of the season. He’s getting more comfortable with the way we play, more comfortable with his game,” the second-year Wizard said. “I think he’s starting to figure out what he does that’s comfortable to him, that makes him a dominant player.”</p><p>Sarr’s scoring is night and day compared to the start of the season. The No. 2 overall pick averaged just eight points per game on 29.7 percent shooting (23.8 percent 3 PT) across 24.2 minutes in October but is posting 17.2 points on a 41.8 percent clip (36.4 percent 3 PT) across 27.6 minutes in March.</p><p>“I feel like we’ve just been playing really good basketball, team basketball,” Poole continued. “Everybody’s been on the court long enough to learn each other’s strengths. I think we got a really good chemistry going on on both sides of the ball. Credit to Alex for sticking with it and continuing to improve and shush a lot of the noise that we heard coming into the season.”</p><p>It was never smart to write off Sarr after a handful of rocky Summer League appearances, but the social media era is full of premature takes. Regardless, the French international is showing each game why he was drafted so high, as he’s averaging 20.3 points on 56 percent true shooting with 6.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks over the last eight contests.</p><p>True shooting is an advanced stat that is calculated by dividing twice the sum of the players’ field goal attempts and 0.44 times their free throw attempts. It takes into account all types of shots and their respective values. For context, Dalton Knecht and Jaylen Wells lead all rookies at 59.3 and 56.1 percent, respectively.</p><p>Meanwhile, Sarr has maintained the other facets of his game. The seven-footer’s 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game in March nearly match his season averages across the board (6.7, 2.3, 1.5). He’s second among rookies only to Donovan Clingan in rejections, who has 1.6, and his 13.1 points are also second only to Stephon Castle’s 14.2.</p><p>With that being said, it’s one thing for Sarr’s teammate and mentor to compliment him publically, but it’s another when a former Coach of the Year does it from outside the organization.</p><h2><b>Rick Carlisle showers Alex Sarr with praise</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jordan-Poole-praises-Alex-Sarr-2_16x9.jpg"><figcaption>© Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Pacers (43-30) head coach Rick Carlisle lauded Sarr’s <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1905386334102921718" rel="noopener">skill and personality</a> before Thursday’s game.</p><p>“He’s got a high ceiling. He’s tall, long, athletic, skilled, unafraid…He stretches the floor, shoots threes, and he can block shots,” the former NBA champion said. “And he plays with a real upbeat vibe. Very likeable player as you watch him.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said that Alex Sarr “has a high ceiling…He can stretch the floor, block shots. He has an upbeat vibe, very likable player…” <a href="https://t.co/ixFy10lE1F">pic.twitter.com/ixFy10lE1F</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1905386334102921718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Sarr proved Carlisle right on an otherwise <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/indiana-pacers/pacers-news-indiana-makes-franchise-history-win-vs-wizards">miserable night for Washington</a> (16-57), scoring a team-high 22 points (8-15 FG, 1-4 3 PT) with seven rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal in 28 minutes vs. Indiana.</p><p>That was just one day after notching 24 points (10-17 FG, 4-7 3 PT) with seven boards, two assists, two rejections, and one steal in the win over Philadelphia. The former NBL (Australian League) player also hit a <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1905064948918558894" rel="noopener">game-sealing fall-down shot</a> from close range in the final seconds.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">20-piece for the rook 🤩 </p><p>24 PTS 🔥 7 REB <a href="https://t.co/n9MgetQj2K">pic.twitter.com/n9MgetQj2K</a></p><p>— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1905064948918558894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Sarr’s ankle injury that kept him out for all but two games in February likely ruined his chances at the Rookie of the Year award, but he’s proven that he’s a promising piece with All-Star potential for the Wizards.</p><h2><b>More items</b></h2><p>In other news, Poole set a career-high for threes made in a season on Wednesday with 215, and is now at 219 after Thursday’s game. The Michigan alum’s previous best mark was 214 for the Golden State Warriors in 2022-23.</p><p>With nine games left, Poole’s also on pace to break Bradley Beal’s franchise record of 223, which he set in the 2016-17 campaign.</p><p>Poole is scorching from deep, as he went 4-of-8 against the Pacers, 4-of-7 against the 76ers, and 5-of-9 in Monday’s 112-104 loss to the Toronto Raptors. The 25-year-old is shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc in March and a career-best 37.9 percent this year.</p><p>Additionally, Bub Carrington broke the franchise rookie record for threes made in a season on Thursday with 113, passing Corey Kispert’s record of 112 from 2021-22. Earlier in March, the 19-year-old also became just the third player in NBA history with 250-plus assists and 100-plus three-pointers made before turning 20, joining Kobe Bryant and Luka Doncic.</p><p>The Wizards’ record-breaking core is off on Friday before hosting the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards’ Jordan Poole praises Alex Sarr for ‘shushing’ doubters

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-will-smith-dabs-up-jordan-poole-76ers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Will Smith dabs up Jordan Poole during Wizards-76ers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Will-Smith-dabs-up-Jordan-Poole-courtside.jpg"></figure><h1>Will Smith dabs up Jordan Poole during Wizards-76ers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-26T22:33:08-07:00">March 26th, 10:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-26T22:33:41-07:00">March 26th, 10:33pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards have long been eliminated from contention for a spot in the 2025 NBA Playoffs but that doesn’t mean celebrities are completely staying away from their games.</p><p>On Wednesday night, Academy Award-winning actor Will Smith was courtside to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/wizards-vs-76ers-prediction-odds-pick-spread-3-26-2025">watch the Wizards take on the Philadelphia 76ers</a> at Wells Fargo Center in Philly.</p><p>Smith even caught up with Wizards shooting guard Jordan Poole during one moment in the contest.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Will Smith daps up Jordan Poole 🤝 </p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a>)<a href="https://t.co/Sh4bKUDt5r">pic.twitter.com/Sh4bKUDt5r</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1905050602356248724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>That short interaction between Smith and Poole got many people on the internet talking.</p><p>“What a legend,” <a href="https://x.com/cometwtf/status/1905050468109128133" rel="noopener">said</a> a fan.</p><p>“new meme unlocked,” <a href="https://x.com/nilofalvarado/status/1905052341549850736" rel="noopener">shared</a> another.</p><p>From a <a href="https://x.com/bellx_crypto/status/1905050649051398305" rel="noopener">different commenter</a>: “looks like he said something about watching him since he was little, wholesome moment!”</p><p>“Very cool moment Jordan Poole and Will Smith shaking hands,” <a href="https://x.com/sfgiantsfan15/status/1905050319840821291" rel="noopener">opined</a> one social media user on X (formerly Twitter).</p><p>“Legends shaking hands that’s Will Smith and Jordan Poole 🔥,” <a href="https://x.com/ShazzNizz82/status/1905054853547573654" rel="noopener">posted</a> one fan.</p><p>A Sixers fan who was born and grew up in Philadelphia, Smith decided to drop by the arena and catch some basketball action between the 76ers and the Wizards <a href="https://6abc.com/post/west-philadelphia-native-will-smith-gets-street-renamed/16084434/" rel="noopener">after attending a ceremony</a>.</p><p>The said event introduced the new name of the intersection of North 59th Street and Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia, which is now called “Will Smith Way,” in his honor, according to Bryanna Gallagher and Beccah Hendrickson of 6 ABC.</p><p>“That was one of the things these streets of Philadelphia taught me, that there’s nothing wrong for a hard day’s work,” shared Smith.</p><p>As for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-alex-sarr-pulls-off-historic-feat-in-win-vs-76ers">Poole and the Wizards, they came away with a 119-114 victory</a> to snap a five-game losing skid. Poole put up a strong performance versus the Sixers, scoring 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field with four 3-pointers, seven dimes and two rebounds in just 22 minutes of action.</p><p>Meanwhile, rookie Alex Sarr led the way for the Wizards on offense with 24 points on 10-fo-17 shooting. Justin Champagnie and Tristan Vukcevic stepped up as well, chipping in 18 and 17 points, respectively.</p><p>The Wizards improved to 16-56, but they’re still in the very bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Washington only has 10 games left on its schedule, including a date with the Indiana Pacers to start a five-game homestand this Thursday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Will Smith dabs up Jordan Poole during Wizards-76ers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/orlando-magic/magic-news-jordan-poole-details-close-ties-with-paolo-banchero-orlando-roster');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jordan Poole details close ties with Paolo Banchero, Magic roster');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jordan-Poole-details-close-ties-with-Paolo-Banchero-Magic-roster.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Jordan Poole details close ties with Paolo Banchero, Magic roster</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-22T10:58:02-07:00">March 22nd, 10:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-22T10:58:02-07:00">March 22nd, 10:58am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/orlando-magic/magic-news-2-orlando-players-give-paolo-banchero-his-flowers">Orlando Magic secured their 33rd win of the season on Friday night</a>, defeating the Washington Wizards 120-105. Paolo Banchero continued his scoring tear, leading the Magic for the ninth straight game with 30 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and a steal on 11-of-22 shooting. The win helped Orlando maintain its position in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, while the Wizards fell to a league-worst 15-54.</p><p>Following the game, Wizards guard Jordan Poole <a href="https://x.com/FAmer__/status/1903422397828526414" rel="noopener">spoke about his connection</a> with Banchero and several familiar faces on the Magic roster.</p><p>“Yeah, just me and Paolo worked out once a couple of summers ago leading him into getting drafted,” Poole said. “Just competitive, I love some bump, mix it up sometimes and have some fun – I know a lot of guys on that team over there. It’s basically Michigan University if you look at where all these guys went to school.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Wizards G Jordan Poole said he has a strong relationship with a majority of the Magic roster, “I know a lot of guys on that team over there. It’s basically Michigan University.” Poole added he and Paolo worked out together a couple summers ago prior to Banchero getting drafted. <a href="https://t.co/dsmpiwH2RR">pic.twitter.com/dsmpiwH2RR</a></p><p>— Fawzan Amer (@FAmer__) <a href="https://twitter.com/FAmer__/status/1903422397828526414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>The Magic currently have four players who played collegiately at the University of Michigan: Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, Caleb Houstan, and Jett Howard. Poole, who starred at Michigan for two seasons before declaring for the NBA Draft, has maintained close ties with many of the program’s recent alumni.</p><p>Poole finished Friday’s contest with 18 points, two rebounds, two assists, and a steal while shooting seven-of-13 from the field, including four-of-eight from beyond the arc.</p><h2><b>As Wizards rebuild, Jordan Poole’s production and Magic ties spark offseason intrigue</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jordan-Poole-13-handles-the-ball-against-Orlando-Magic-guard-Cory-Joseph-10.jpg"><figcaption>© Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Jordan Poole is currently in his sixth NBA season at age 26 after the Golden State Warriors selected him with the 28th overall pick in the 2019 draft. He helped lead the Warriors to the 2022 championship before the team traded him to Washington, where he has spent the past two seasons. Despite the Wizards’ struggles, Poole is producing one of the best statistical seasons of his career. He is averaging 20.4 points, a career-high 4.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game on 42.2% shooting from the field and a career-best 37.2% from three-point range across 59 games.</p><p>With the Magic in search of long-term stability at the point guard position, Poole’s familiarity with much of Orlando’s core could make him a name to watch during the upcoming offseason. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-trade-grade-kyle-kuzma-khris-middleton-bucks-deal">Wizards have committed to a full rebuild, having traded Kyle Kuzma to the Milwaukee Bucks</a> at the trade deadline and continuing to stockpile young talent and draft capital.</p><p>Poole is in the second year of a four-year, $128 million contract that runs through the 2026-27 season. He is owed $34 million in the final year of the deal. While the price tag is significant, his ability to generate offense could fill a major need for the Magic, who currently <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/traditional?dir=D&amp;sort=PTS" rel="noopener">rank last</a> in the NBA in both scoring (104.8 points per game) and three-point shooting (31.1% on 10.9 makes per game).</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/orlando-magic/schedule/upcoming">Magic will return home for a one-game stop against the Los Angeles Lakers (43-26)</a> on Monday night. The Lakers have surged since mid-January, posting a 22-9 record and climbing to the third seed in the Western Conference. Orlando won the first matchup between the two teams in November on a Franz Wagner game-winner, though the Lakers now feature new additions Luka Doncic and Dorian Finney-Smith.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jordan Poole details close ties with Paolo Banchero, Magic roster

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-jordan-poole-franchise-history-2');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jordan Poole gets 100% real after making Wizards franchise history');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jordan-Poole-gets-100-real-after-making-franchise-history.jpg"></figure><h1>Jordan Poole gets 100% real after making Wizards franchise history</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-22T10:24:16-07:00">March 22nd, 10:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-22T17:07:46-07:00">March 22nd, 5:07pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jordan Poole has quietly become one of the NBA’s most improved players in his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/wizards-news-jordan-poole-snubbed-all-star-game">second campaign with the Washington Wizards</a>. The former NBA champion became only the fourth-ever Wizard to hit 200 three-pointers in a season during their 120-105 loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday night, just one year after being benched.</p><p>Poole <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1903268216715010425" rel="noopener">attributed his success from deep</a> to offseason preparation and head coach Brian Keefe giving him a bigger role on offense.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jordan Poole became only the fourth-ever Wizard to pass 200 three-pointers made in a season tonight. He told me that his success from deep is thanks to his preparation over the offseason and coach BK giving him the keys on offense. <a href="https://t.co/o25e9R3gIA">pic.twitter.com/o25e9R3gIA</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1903268216715010425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“A lot of work goes into the offseason. I think I also knew what to expect after talking to BK coming into the summer, knowing what to prepare for, knowing how to work, knowing what type of shots I would get,” the 25-year-old explained. “I think it’s a big part of my game. I’ve had a good season from the arc for sure.”</p><p>Poole now has 203 threes made ahead of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-vs-knicks-prediction-odds-pick-spread-3-22-2025">Wizards’ road clash with the New York Knicks</a> on Saturday night, and he’s well on pace to break his career-high mark of 214 from 2022-23, his last season with the Golden State Warriors. The Michigan alum now joins Gilbert Arenas, Bradley Beal, and Davis Bertans in Washington’s 200 club. With 13 games left, he could catch Beal’s record of 223, as he averages 3.4 threes made per contest.</p><p>Poole’s accomplishment is another testament to his growth after a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-news-jordan-poole-washington-reaches-mountaintop">rocky start with the Wizards</a> last season. The Milwaukee native’s 37.2 percent clip from deep this season is a 4.6 percent improvement over last year despite averaging two more attempts per game. That’s a sign of better shot selection, as he often settled for heavily contested looks or threes from far beyond the arc in 2023-24.</p><p>The best part about Poole’s career year for Washington is that it’s contagious.</p><h2><b>Alex Sarr makes late Rookie of the Year push with Wizards</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Victor-Wembanyama-2.jpg"><figcaption>Scott Wachter-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Sarr registered another quality performance against the Magic, scoring 19 points (7-15 FG, 3-6 3 PT) with 10 rebounds and two assists in 28 minutes. The No. 2 overall pick is having his best month yet, averaging 17.1 points on 40.9 percent shooting (39.4 percent 3 PT) with 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks. His 12.8 points per game on the season trails only San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (14) among rookies.</p><p>Sarr was asked if he’s <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1903275832849641491" rel="noopener">felt a shift in his game</a> since returning from an ankle injury that held him out for all but two games in February.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Alex Sarr on his hot streak since coming back from injury:</p><p>“I wouldn’t call it a big change. I feel like I’m just getting more experienced…I’m getting way better.” <a href="https://t.co/HRFCz7qlKt">pic.twitter.com/HRFCz7qlKt</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1903275832849641491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I wouldn’t call it a big change,” the seven-footer said. “I feel like it’s maybe just having more experience as I get more games under my belt, and just kind of knowing the game a little better.”</p><p>Sarr’s numbers have improved throughout the season, as he shot just 29.7 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from long range in October, along with a 24.6 percent three-point clip in November. His latter stat shot up to a 45.5 percent mark when he won <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-fans-want-jordan-poole-apology-alex-sarr-apology-forms-after-win-bulls">Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors in December</a> but plunged to 28.6 percent in January.</p><p>Keefe was asked pre-game if Sarr’s three-point shooting was ahead of where he thought it’d be at this point.</p><p>“To be honest with you, I haven’t thought about that. That hasn’t even been something that’s come across my radar,” the first-year head coach admitted. “I like the shots he’s taken, that’s the most important thing is the quality of looks…The work he’s put in, that’s what I care about the most. He puts in a tremendous amount of work…That’s the stuff that’s the most important. Getting his routine, getting his structure, building on his habits every day. That stuff’s been tremendous all year.”</p><p>Sarr lost Rookie of the Year momentum after the injury but <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/kia-rookie-ladder-march-19-2025-edition" rel="noopener">got back to fifth place</a> in the last NBA Rookie Ladder, via NBA.com. The French international could rise again with a standout performance at Madison Square Garden.</p><p>Finally, fellow rookie AJ Johnson had a career-high 14 points (6-9 FG, 2-3 3 PT) with three assists and two rebounds in 23 minutes vs. Orlando. The No. 23 overall pick has spent time both in the NBA and the G League since the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/bucks-news-khris-middleton-wizards-kyle-kuzma-trade">Wizards traded for him</a> at the deadline, but he’s already coming into his own after playing just 45 total minutes with the Milwaukee Bucks before the deal.</p><p>“Still learning him for sure. We’re really happy with what he’s doing,” Keefe said post-game. “You can see his ability to attack the rim, make reads, his athleticism, his speed. But again, he’s an improving younger player who’s still growing on the job. But we like what we see, and he’s one of those guys who just loves the game. When you love the game, you can get better quicker.”</p><p>Between Poole’s historic season and the rookies’ development, Washington fans have plenty to be excited about before they find out what lottery pick the team will get on May 12.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jordan Poole gets 100% real after making Wizards franchise history

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-jordan-poole-mic-drop-game-winner-nuggets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards’ Jordan Poole delivers NSFW mic drop after game-winner vs. Nuggets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Wizards-news-Jordan-Poole-delivers-NSFW-mic-drop-after-game-winner-vs.-Nuggets.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards’ Jordan Poole delivers NSFW mic drop after game-winner vs. Nuggets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-16T07:54:01-07:00">March 16th, 7:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-16T08:06:27-07:00">March 16th, 8:06am</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a>Jason Patt started as an editor at ClutchPoints in 2018 and became the head of the editorial team in 2022. He also co-hosts Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Podcast for the Blue Wire Network.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards beat the Denver Nuggets for a second time this season, with the latest stunner coming courtesy of a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/wizards-news-jordan-poole-ices-win-nuggets">35-foot Jordan Poole 3-pointer in the final seconds</a>. Poole’s long-range bomb gave the Wizards a 126-123 victory just moments after Jamal Murray’s bucket tied the game.</p><p>Poole then delivered a mic-drop moment afterward when talking about the game-winning shot: “Let’s go home. Let’s get the f**k outta here.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="instagram-media"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHPs_DhsnrH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div><div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div><div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"><div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 24px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div><p></p></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHPs_DhsnrH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Daily Sports news and media (@wizskins)</a></p></div></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>The Wizards guard broke down the moment a bit more for the local broadcast, admitting he was sick and then walking through the play. Poole also talked about breaking out his “signature celly.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Poole on his game winner:</p><p>"If I hit this, I'm definitely pulling out the signature celly" <a href="https://t.co/1JWhF9nO4a">pic.twitter.com/1JWhF9nO4a</a></p><p>— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) <a href="https://twitter.com/ohnohedidnt24/status/1901116570161565705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Jordan Poole’s game-winner capped off a 19-point performance, with 14 of those points coming in the fourth quarter after a sluggish start. While the Wizards guard had six turnovers, he was an efficient 7-of-11 from the field and 4-of-7 from 3-point land. All four of his triples came in the final frame. Not bad for a sick guy playing in a difficult Denver environment.</p><p>It looked like it was going to be a rough night for Poole and Co. early on. The Nuggets scored 44 points in the first quarter and led by as many as 16 in the opening frame. Washington reeled in Denver, though, tying the game by the end of the third quarter and then pulling out the victory late.</p><p>Poole has been a thorn in the Nuggets’ side this season. In addition to this game-winner, the Wizards guard poured in 39 points in a 122-113 victory in early December. Whatever the case, Washington has Denver’s number in 2024-25.</p><h2><b>Jordan Poole, Wizards are rolling</b></h2><p>The Wizards have been playing much better in general lately, going 6-4 over their last 10 games after a six-game losing streak had dropped them to 9-47. Veterans Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart have stabilized the rotation a bit since they came over at the trade deadline, and the youngsters have had their moments. No. 2 pick Alex Sarr scored a career-high 34 points on Saturday night after leading seven players in double figures in a road win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.</p><p>With this win, Washington no longer has the worst record in the NBA, which now belongs to the 15-52 Utah Jazz. Luckily, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/why-wizards-fans-shouldnt-worry-wins-tank">Wizards still hold the same odds</a> to win the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, though finishing with the second-worst record would give them a <a href="https://www.tankathon.com/pick_odds" rel="noopener">20.0% chance of falling</a> to No. 6 in the lottery.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards’ Jordan Poole delivers NSFW mic drop after game-winner vs. Nuggets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-jordan-poole-ices-win-nuggets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards’ Jordan Poole ices win vs. Nuggets with logo 3');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Wizards-news-Jordan-Poole-ices-win-vs-Nuggets-with-logo-3.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards’ Jordan Poole ices win vs. Nuggets with logo 3</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-15T20:58:15-07:00">March 15th, 8:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-16T07:56:51-07:00">March 16th, 7:56am</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/why-wizards-rookie-class-elite">Wizards have multiple snipers</a> on their hands. Not only did rookie Kyshawn George sink a corner three to take a 123-121 lead over the Denver Nuggets with 10 seconds left on Saturday, but Jordan Poole <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1901112824820109431" rel="noopener">hit a game-winner</a> from the logo with 1.8 ticks to go.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">JORDAN POOLE BURIES IT FROM DEEP FOR THE GAME-WINNER 🤯<a href="https://t.co/BZqOeaWuZr">pic.twitter.com/BZqOeaWuZr</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1901112824820109431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-news-jordan-poole-washington-reaches-mountaintop">Poole, who started the game slow</a>, finished with 19 points (7-11 FG, 4-7 3 PT) while adding six assists, six turnovers, one steal, and one block in 30 minutes. It was far from the 25-year-old’s best night statistically, but he still had the confidence to take an off-dribble heave over Russell Westbrook in a tie game.</p><p>The shot was preceded by a step-back midrange jumper from Jamal Murray with 5.1 seconds left on the other end to tie the contest at 123. Wizards (15-51) coach Brian Keefe then used his final timeout to get the ball to half-court, and didn’t draw up a play. Instead, he let his best player take care of business.</p><p>Poole has now shot at least 50 percent in four of his last seven games as he continues his career year in Washington. The former NBA champion is averaging a personal-best 21 points on 42.4 percent shooting (37.7 percent 3 PT) with 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals across 30.9 minutes. His clip from deep is a 5.1 percent improvement over last year.</p><p>The Wizards have now won two straight games, both against playoff teams on the road. They beat the Detroit Pistons (37-31) 129-125 on Thursday and the Nuggets (43-25) 126-123 on Saturday. Furthermore, Saturday’s win completes a season sweep of Denver, as they beat it 122-113 at home on Dec. 7.</p><p>This is Washington’s second sweep of the year, as it beat the Charlotte Hornets (17-49) in all four meetings. Its also 6-4 in its last 10 games and 9-11 in its last 20 after starting 6-41.</p><p>That’s largely because the Wiz Kids are shining.</p><h2><b>Alex Sarr has career night vs. Nikola Jokic, Nuggets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Wizards-Alex-Sarr-1.jpg"><figcaption>© Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Sarr was sensational against Denver, <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1901121300522848269" rel="noopener">notching a career-high</a> 34 points (12-28 FG, 5-9 3 PT) with six rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block in 32 minutes.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">A career-high 34 points for Alex Sarr, the No. 2 pick in this year's NBA draft 🙌</p><p>34 PTS<br>6 REB<br>5 AST<br>5 3PM<a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WashWizards</a> W <a href="https://t.co/Y0TrkAfXDh">pic.twitter.com/Y0TrkAfXDh</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1901121300522848269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The No. 2 overall pick held his own against Nikola Jokic, the NBA’s best player. The latter was also unconscious offensively, as he tallied a game-high 40 points (16-30 FG, 1-8 3 PT) with 13 rebounds, nine assists, two blocks, and one steal.</p><p>Sarr played just two games in February due to an ankle injury, but he’s now back in full force. The 19-year-old <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-fans-want-jordan-poole-apology-alex-sarr-apology-forms-after-win-bulls">was the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month</a> in December and was a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year honors before getting hurt, but he’ll put himself right back in those conversations with more performances like Saturday’s.</p><p>Sarr is now the youngest player in Wizards history to record a 30-plus point game and the first Wizards rookie to do so since Dec. 1, 2019. The seven-footer’s 24 first-half points were also the most by a rookie this season, and the most since Brandon Miller on April 5. He also has 15.8 points per game since the NBA trade deadline, second among rookies only to Rookie of the Year favorite Stephon Castle, who has 17.3.</p><p>Meanwhile, George scored 19 points (6-11 FG, 4-8 3 PT) with seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, and one block in 40 minutes. The 21-year-old now has double-digit points in 11 of his last 18 outings after averaging 7.7 in January and 5.4 in December.</p><p>Finally, Bub Carrington had nine points (4-12 FG, 1-6 3 PT) with a team-high seven assists and four rebounds in 30 minutes. The No. 14 overall pick now has 25 games with at least five dimes, second-most among rookies this season.</p><p>Washington’s rookie class has been a big reason behind its recent hot streak, which is a good sign for the organization’s future. Armed with two lottery picks through 2026, the team has the capital to add high-end talent to its already-promising foundation, and could become a playoff contender by 2027.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
20.5	3.0	4.5	0.4	1.3

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
20.5	3.0	4.5	0.4	1.3

Jordan Poole news

Jordan
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