Jordan Poole may no longer be with Golden State Warriors, but the intrigue about his departure still remains.
The fourth-year guard was traded to the Washington Wizards not long after the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. Online sleuths were able to notice that one of Poole’s first moves after getting traded was immediately unfollowing former teammate Draymond Green on Instagram.
Many pointed to the viral punch during the 2022 offseason as the smoking gun that soiled Poole’s relationship with Green — and eventually the Warriors.
However, Green may not even have been the strongest advocate for getting rid of Poole. The combo guard’s souring relationship with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr might have been more to blame, according to NBA reporter Jason Dumas while speaking to 95.7 The Game’s “The Morning Roast” on Friday.
“I honestly think the relationship between him and Steve was more of what got him traded than his relationship with him and Draymond Green,” Dumas told the hosts, as transcribed by 95.7 The Game’s Alex Espinoza. “I just think he was kinda fed up with the fact that Jordan was kinda huffin’ and puffin’ that he wasn’t in the right role for him. I think that had more to do with him being moved than that punch. The punch didn’t help and his relationship with Draymond wasn’t great, but I think Steve was more fed up than anything.”
While there really might have been a falling out between Poole and Kerr that greased the wheels for the former’s exit, the world doesn’t usually deal in absolutes. Until Poole himself speaks out, onlookers can merely speculate.
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