Warriors Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins agree to contract extensions
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Golden State Warriors have reached agreements with Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins on contract extensions days before they begin defense of their NBA title.
Poole deal was a four-year, $140 million deal. Meanwhile, Wiggins left money on the table to help the front office, agreeing to a four-year, $109 million extension.
"We didn't plan on doing 'em on the same day, it just kind of happened that way," said GM Bob Myers.
Wiggins averaged 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.04 steals playing 31.9 minutes over 73 games and all starts to help lead the Warriors back to the playoffs after losing in the 2021 play-in round.
"Andrew has been a terrific fit for our team since his arrival in the Bay Area almost three years ago," Myers said. "His first ever championship last season earned him the admiration of many around the league and solidified his stature as an impactful two-way player in the NBA. We're excited that he'll be a part of our team for the next several years."
Golden State acquired Wiggins in a trade from Minnesota ahead of the deadline in February 2020 and he quickly found his way alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green — no longer needing to be the face of a franchise as he was with the Timberwolves. It wasn't until last season that Wiggins finally got to play with Klay Thompson, who missed more than 2 1/2 years with two serious injuries that required surgery.
Still, the two deals may leave Green as the odd man out. He also was seeking a lucrative contract extension.
Extension talks between the two sides had been in the works for weeks, and they were ultimately able to reach an agreement ahead of Monday's deadline for players from the 2019 draft to sign rookie-scale extensions prior to the start of the season. Poole now won't have the contract situation hanging over his head when he's out on the floor doing his thing.
Poole is heading into his fourth season with the Warriors after the team selected him late in the first round (28th overall) of the 2019 NBA Draft. He's coming off of a breakout campaign in which he started in 51 games, averaged 18.5 points, four assists and 3.4 rebounds per performance, and proved to be an integral part of Golden State's offensive attack.
The Warriors were able to win the title last season, and Poole was a major part of the reason why. With the extension, it's clear that the Warriors expect him to continue to be a significant contributor to the franchise moving forward.
Poole was recently in the news for being on the receiving end of a punch from teammate Green during practice.
Green has since apologized for his actions and took a leave of absence from the team for several days. He was also fined an undisclosed amount by the organization. Now the two players will look to put their issues behind them and come together in order to help the Warriors try to repeat as NBA champions.
