Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole spoke out about his relationship with Draymond Green post-practice punch. Note: It’s not good.
The Warriors were recently knocked out by the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, an unfortunate end to what may be the dynasty of its era. Golden State has won four NBA titles with the core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and some very talented spare parts.
One of those parts, guard Jordan Poole, was punched by Green in a very public display at practice prior to the season. The video was mysteriously leaked to the media, and Green faced an indefinite suspension, which ended on ring night.
While Green and Poole played nice throughout the season, it’s tough to see the relationship going back to its previous strong point. Poole confirmed as much to The Ringer after the Dubs defeat.
“I don’t have no answer for you,” Poole told Logan Murdock of The Ringer. “Other than that, we was just on the court and teammates, and we was out there trying to win games.”
That’s a far cry to pre-punch status, as Poole reportedly considered Green an older brother figure.
Will the Golden State Warriors keep Jordan Poole?
Golden State doesn’t have much of a choice but to keep Poole, unless they prefer to trade him while his value is lowest. Poole signed a four-year, $128 million contract last offseason. He’s locked in for the long haul, and that could very well come without Green.
Draymond has a player option this offseason, and he’s likely to use it. Should he do so, Green will have interested suitors for another max contract on the open market. The Lakers, for one, have rumored interest.
Moving Poole is possible as he’s a young player to build around. Some teams — not a contender, for obvious reasons — would find that valuable. FanSided’s Ian Levy outlined why one of Poole or Green will leave the Bay this offseason:
“Zach Lowe has said that the Warriors have to explore trading Poole and if they do move him, there’s a good chance Golden State will try to negotiate an extension with Green. If they can’t find the right trade partner, they may have to watch Green leave anyway. At this point, it’s not clear what the future holds for Poole or Green. But the odds seem exceedingly small that they’re both on the Warriors next year.”
Based on Poole’s answer, he can’t get out of Golden State fast enough.