Jordan Poole Bio
Jordan Anthony Poole, born on June 19, 1999, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 194 pounds, the shooting guard and point guard has built a reputation as a dynamic scorer since being selected 28th overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA draft. Poole won an NBA championship with the Warriors in 2022 and remains one of the league’s most talked-about young guards.
Nicknamed “Poole Party” by fans and teammates, Poole played college basketball at the University of Michigan, where he was a key part of the 2017–18 squad that won the Big Ten tournament and reached the national championship game. His combination of deep shooting range, ball-handling, and scoring touch has drawn frequent comparisons to former Warriors teammate Stephen Curry.
Early Life and Background
Jordan Anthony Poole was born on June 19, 1999, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to parents Monet Poole and Anthony Poole. He grew up alongside an older sister, who went on to attend Marquette University, as well as a younger sister. Milwaukee’s basketball culture played a meaningful role in Poole’s early athletic development, and he began attracting attention as a scoring guard well before high school.
Poole attended Rufus King High School in Milwaukee, where, as a freshman, he made a memorable three-point shot to tie a game in the closing seconds after coming off the bench. He later transferred to La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana, for his senior year in 2016, seeking a stronger national schedule and broader exposure. At La Lumiere, he played alongside future McDonald’s All-Americans such as Brian Bowen and Jaren Jackson Jr., and the team won the 2017 Dick’s National High School Championship, defeating Montverde Academy. Poole scored 13 points in that championship game, including a third-quarter buzzer beater.
Path to Basketball
As a highly recruited high school prospect, Poole drew scholarship offers from Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Marquette, Nebraska, Memphis, Virginia Tech, and Auburn before committing to Michigan on October 23, 2015. At the time of his commitment, he was rated as the top shooting guard and the second-ranked overall prospect in his recruiting class. He signed his national letter of intent on November 11, 2016, alongside fellow Michigan-bound players Isaiah Livers and Eli Brooks.
At Michigan, Poole joined the Wolverines for the 2017–18 season and immediately contributed as a freshman. He scored a then career-high 19 points in his Big Ten debut against Indiana on December 2, 2017, and helped Michigan capture the 2018 Big Ten tournament championship. In the 2018 NCAA tournament, Poole hit a game-winning buzzer-beater against Houston in the second round, sending Michigan to the Sweet 16 and earning him national recognition. As a sophomore, he averaged 21.4 points per game, earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors, and posted a career-high 26 points against South Carolina. Following the 2018–19 season, Poole declared for the 2019 NBA draft and was selected 28th overall by the Golden State Warriors.
Jordan Poole Career
Early Career (2019–2021)
Poole signed his rookie scale contract with the Golden State Warriors on July 11, 2019, and made his NBA debut on October 24, 2019, against the Los Angeles Clippers, scoring five points off the bench. He earned his first NBA start on October 29, 2019, against the New Orleans Pelicans, finishing with 13 points in the Warriors’ first win of the season. During his first two seasons, Poole split time between Golden State and its G-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, where he scored 23 points in his debut and 31 points in his second outing.
In the 2020–21 season, Poole steadily earned more responsibility as Klay Thompson recovered from injury. He set multiple early career highs, including 26 points against the Phoenix Suns on March 4, 2021, and 38 points against the New Orleans Pelicans on May 14, 2021. Those performances helped establish him as a promising scorer heading into Golden State’s next championship push.
Golden State Warriors Breakthrough (2021–2023)
Poole won the Warriors’ starting shooting guard job for the 2021–22 season and quickly became a focal point of the offense. On November 21, 2021, he scored 33 points and made a career-high eight three-pointers in a win over the Toronto Raptors. After Stephen Curry was sidelined late in the season, Poole scored 20 or more points in 18 of the final 20 games, including a streak of 17 consecutive such performances. He led the NBA in free throw percentage at 92.5%, narrowly edging Curry at 92.3% in what was the first time in 45 years that teammates finished first and second in that category.
Poole started his first career playoff game on April 16, 2022, scoring 30 points in a win over the Denver Nuggets, and went on to average 17.0 points on 50.8% shooting during the postseason. The Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, giving Poole his first NBA championship. On October 15, 2022, he signed a four-year contract extension worth $123 million, with an additional $17 million available in incentives. Despite occasional struggles during the 2022–23 season, including an in-practice altercation with teammate Draymond Green, Poole posted multiple career highs, including 43 points against the Toronto Raptors on December 18, 2022.
Washington Wizards Era (2023–2025)
On July 6, 2023, the Golden State Warriors traded Poole, along with Patrick Baldwin Jr., Ryan Rollins, and draft picks, to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Chris Paul. Poole made his Wizards debut on October 25, 2023, recording 18 points and five assists. During the 2023–24 season, he scored a high of 38 points against the Brooklyn Nets on March 27, 2024, gradually establishing himself as Washington’s primary scoring option.
In the 2024–25 season, Poole was moved to point guard and produced some of the most productive stretches of his career. He scored 42 points against the San Antonio Spurs on November 14, 2024, and posted a career-high 45 points in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 7, 2025. He also surpassed Bradley Beal’s franchise record for three-pointers in a season, finishing with 235 made threes. On January 18, 2025, Poole became the first member of the 2019 NBA draft class to reach 900 career three-pointers.
New Orleans Pelicans Era (2025–Present)
On July 6, 2025, Poole was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of a three-team deal that also sent Saddiq Bey and the draft rights to Micah Peavy to New Orleans. He made his Pelicans debut on October 22, 2025, scoring 17 points with two assists across 31 minutes in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. His first season in New Orleans was disrupted by injuries, including a sore knee and a quad strain that sidelined him for several weeks.
After returning to the lineup, Poole struggled with efficiency and was eventually moved out of the starting rotation by head coach James Borrego. He finished the 2025–26 season averaging 13.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists across 39 games, marking his lowest-scoring campaign since his 2020–21 rookie year.
Driving Style and Strengths
Poole is widely regarded as a dynamic scorer whose game revolves around deep three-point shooting, mid-range shot creation, and rim-finishing drives. His ball-handling and speed allow him to create offense in isolation situations, while his playmaking has steadily improved; he averaged a career-high 4.0 assists per game during the 2022–23 season. Although initially criticized for inconsistency as a rookie, he has developed into a reliable secondary creator who can operate both on and off the ball, frequently drawing comparisons to Stephen Curry and earning the nickname “the third Splash Brother” in some basketball media circles.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Poole’s signature moments, his 2018 NCAA tournament buzzer-beater against Houston stands out as the shot that announced his arrival on the national stage. In the NBA, he led the league in free throw percentage during the 2021–22 championship season, posted a career-high 45 points for Washington in February 2025, and set a Wizards franchise record with 235 three-pointers in a single season. His four-year, $123 million contract extension with Golden State in October 2022 further underlined his status as one of the league’s most marketable young guards.
Jordan Poole Career Wins
Jordan Poole’s most significant professional victory came on June 16, 2022, when the Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics to win the NBA championship, awarding Poole his first NBA title. He also reached the Western Conference Semifinals with the Warriors in 2023 and posted multiple individual milestones, including leading the NBA in free throw percentage during the 2021–22 season.
NBA Highlights
Poole’s first NBA win came on October 29, 2019, against the New Orleans Pelicans, when he scored 13 points in his first career start. He earned All-NBA G League Third Team honors in 2021 after his stint with the Santa Cruz Warriors. His most recent playoff appearance came during the 2023 NBA playoffs with Golden State, where the Warriors were eliminated in the conference semifinals by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Other Wins and Performances
In high school, Poole was part of the 2017 Dick’s National High School Championship team at La Lumiere School, which defeated Montverde Academy. At Michigan, he contributed to back-to-back Big Ten tournament titles in 2018, helping the Wolverines reach the 2018 NCAA championship game.
Jordan Poole Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Jordan Poole is the son of Monet Poole and Anthony Poole. He has an older sister who attended Marquette University and a younger sister. His family supported his basketball development from an early age, and his upbringing in Milwaukee helped shape his competitive drive on the court.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 calendar year marked a significant transition for Jordan Poole. After finishing the 2024–25 NBA season with the Washington Wizards, where he set a franchise record with 235 made three-pointers and posted a career-high 45 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in July 2025. The move gave him an opportunity to compete in the Western Conference alongside a younger, developing roster.
Poole’s debut campaign with the Pelicans, however, was a difficult one. Injuries, including a quad strain in November 2025, limited his availability and consistency, while a dip in shooting efficiency cost him his spot in the starting lineup under head coach James Borrego. He finished the season averaging 13.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists across 39 games, his lowest-scoring year since 2020–21.
Looking ahead, Poole will look to bounce back in his second season with New Orleans by rediscovering the efficiency and shot-making that made him a key contributor during Golden State’s 2022 championship run. With a full offseason to recover and a clearer role within the Pelicans’ system, he remains a player whose scoring bursts can shift games in a hurry.
