Klay Thompson and other veteran players on the Golden State Warriors had issues with Jordan Poole, according to NBA insider Logan Murdock of The Ringer. The Warriors traded Poole to the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster trade for Chris Paul.
“All the established guys had some version of a problem with Jordan Poole,” Murdock said on the Bill Simmons Podcast (h/t Bleacher Report). “Whether it was Klay ironically saying that Jordan doesn’t pass the ball enough and shoots too much.”
Poole signed a four-year, $128 million extension with the Warriors in October 2022. The extension kicks in next season. The Michigan product averaged a career-high 20.4 points for the Dubs last season while shooting 43.0% from the field, 33.6% from beyond the arc and 87.0% from the free-throw line.
However, Poole wasn’t able to carry over his regular-season success to the 2023 postseason. In 13 playoff games versus the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers, Poole averaged 10.3 points while shooting an inefficient 34.1% overall and 25.4% from 3-point range.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson & Golden State Warriors Updates
The Warriors lost to the Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals this year in six games, with Poole averaging just 8.3 points in the LA series. According to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, the Dubs thought Poole was an “extraneous” and “inefficient” member of their roster.
“What’s clear to me after a few days of checking around is that this all began when the Warriors decided that Poole was an extraneous and inefficient member of their roster,” Kawakami wrote. “That was the precipitating issue. The Warriors wanted out of the $123 million deal they gave Poole only eight months earlier because his play last season didn’t meet that value, especially given their extreme luxury-tax pressures.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson & Golden State Warriors Updates
Draymond Green punched Poole in the face before the 2022-23 season started. The video was leaked to the public. With Poole gone and Paul in, the Warriors are now expected to start Paul, Stephen Curry, Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Green.
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