Insider reveals details on aftermath of Draymond punching Poole

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Insider reveals new details on aftermath of Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole

Originally posted on Game 7 | By Anthony Amador | Last updated 7/6/23

Jordan Poole was traded by the Golden State Warriors to the Washington Wizards almost as soon as the NBA offseason commenced. It was a stunning turn of events, given that Golden State had just given Poole a $100 million contract extension one year earlier.

A big wrench was thrown into the mix at the beginning of last season when Poole was punched in the face by Draymond Green amid a fight that occurring during practice.

Their relationship never recovered — and it poisoned the locker room to a pretty intense degree. According to NBA insider Ric Bucher, Poole rejected Green’s later overtures at making amends.

.@RicBucher had some interesting things to say about what happened before and after the Draymond/JP altercation pic.twitter.com/DNBheXVbst

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) July 5, 2023

“Jordan was on a lot of players’ nerves way before that, including Klay and Steph,” Bucher said this week.

“And Draymond was finally the one who tipped the scale and went overboard. … After he did it, Draymond tried everything possible to remedy the situation, and Jordan would have none of it. I’m just looking at it as Jordan, you have an opportunity to learn and exceed Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.”

Bucher didn’t stop there, though.

“You can’t get over this situation with Draymond when Draymond’s gonna be gone at some point, and this is gonna be yours. You couldn’t see the big picture and made sure that the elephant was still in the room,” he continued.

It’s hard to ignore how ugly the divorce between the Warriors and Poole has gotten in recent weeks.

Stories have emerged about Klay Thompson reportedly having an issue with Poole. Head coach Steve Kerr’s message regarding the trade was self-explanatory.

It’s all quite shocking, given how low-key the Warriors typically have been over the past decade aside from the Kevin Durant brouhaha. Maybe Poole being shipped off elsewhere is the best thing for all parties involved.

This article first appeared on Game 7 and was syndicated with permission.

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