Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was recently a guest on Philadelphia 76ers guard Patrick Beverley’s podcast and the four-time NBA champion talked about why he punched Jordan Poole in the face last year.
Green basically said Poole said something to him that men don’t say to each other and he reacted by punching him.
“I don’t just hit people. Dialogue happens over time and you usually ain’t triggered by something that fast,” Green said. “We know stuff you don’t say amongst men. We know things that you have to stand on.”
Green’s punch was caught on video and it got leaked. The Warriors managed to win 44 games last season, but they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals in six games.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Draymond Green, Jordan Poole & Golden State Warriors Updates
Golden State traded Poole to the Washington Wizards in the Chris Paul trade this summer. Meanwhile, Green signed a new four-year deal with the Warriors in free agency.
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 Lakers, Poole averaged 10.3 points while shooting an inefficient 34.1% overall and 25.4% from 3-point range.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Draymond Green, Jordan Poole & Golden State Warriors Updates
According to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, the Warriors thought Poole was an “extraneous” and “inefficient” member of their roster, which is they traded him.
“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.”
Poole and Kyle Kuzma are the best players on the Wizards now, while the Warriors will likely start Paul, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Green next season.
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
