Six years ago, Kevin Durant left the Golden State Warriors and Jordan Poole was drafted to the Dubs. Three years ago, when the Warriors lifted that 2022 championship trophy, it felt like the culmination of something beautiful. The Splash Brothers had reclaimed their throne without Durant, proving Golden State’s championship core was self-sustaining. Meanwhile, Jordan Poole emerged as the heir apparent to Curry’s magic, dropping 17 points in Game 6 of the Finals with the poise of a seasoned veteran.
Fast forward to June 2025, and here’s the cruel irony: both Poole and Durant—two essential pieces of that Warriors championship dynastic puzzle—are now trying to recreate that winning formula somewhere else.