NBA

Warriors receive: Chris Paul and 2023 57th overall pick
Wizards receive: Jordan Poole, Patrick Baldwin, Ryan Rollins, 2030 protected first-round pick, and 2027 second-round pick

This feels a lot more like Golden State chasing a big name than it does Golden State making a move to better its organization. For starters, can Stephen Curry and Chris Paul even play together at this point in their careers? Paul isn’t the defender he used to be, so it may be tough to hide two small guards on the defensive end. On offense, Paul will certainly help the Warriors’ ball movement, and that can’t be discounted.

The Warriors getting off of Poole’s contract, especially after he was borderline unplayable at times in the playoffs, makes sense. The addition of Baldwin, Rollins, and the two draft picks in the deal is a sweetener more than anything.

The Wizards have wisely started a rebuild, and shipping off Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis were the first two steps. This trade for Washington doesn’t make as much sense as the prior two. Beginning next season, Jordan Poole has a four-year, $128 million contract kick in — less than ideal for a team that’s starting from scratch. To receive the desired outcome from this exchange, Poole probably needs to become a top-75 or so player, a potentially unrealistic expectation given the guard’s defensive shortcomings.

Adding Baldwin and Rollins, who each displayed flashes as rookies, and two mediocre draft picks doesn’t move the needle enough to outweigh Poole’s bad contract. This is the rare trade that doesn’t make sense for either team.

Warriors Grade: C
Wizards Grade: C-

MLB

Braves 5, Phillies 1

This was Atlanta’s eighth consecutive victory, setting the stage for what should be an intriguing series this weekend in Cincinnati against a Reds team that’s won 11 straight games itself. Bryce Elder won’t pitch in that series for the Braves, but he’s been incredibly useful this season. The 24-year-old saw his ERA drop to 2.40 after holding Philadelphia scoreless through seven innings yesterday.

I always enjoy games that go into extra innings scoreless. That abnormality occurred in this game, but things got out of hand in the top of the 10th inning due to a Kyle Schwarber error. Schwarber should probably be serving more games as Philadelphia’s designated hitter, but that spot is occupied by the recovering Bryce Harper.