Steve Kerr: Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole 'compromised season'

Kerr was very direct about how valuable Green is to the team. "If Draymond's not back, we're not a championship contender. He's that important." Kerr said at his exit interview. "I absolutely want him back."

But in describing his "special relationship" with Green, Kerr acknowledged that this year was trying.

"He had a great season from a basketball perspective," said Kerr. "But he also knows he compromised things by what he did back in October."

What Green did was punch teammate Jordan Poole during a practice, which became a huge story once someone leaked the video to TMZ.

Green has a player option for 2023-24, though he's expressed a desire to stay with the Warriors his whole career. "I want to ride out with the same dudes I rode in with," Green told Mark Medina of Sportsnaut.

As for Poole, Kerr said he still sees Poole as a "franchise building block", but he had a terrible series against the Lakers — 8.3 points per game, 25% shooting from three — and caused visible frustration to Kerr and Steph Curry this year.

The Warriors coach also singled out Klay Thompson, who didn't play basketball all last summer, saying Thompson needed to be "more prepared than ever coming into training camp."

Kerr said that Green still needed to rebuild some of the trust with his teammates that was lost after he hit Poole. But Kerr thinks it will happen.

"One thing I love about Draymond is he's always brutally honest," said Kerr. "He can take that sort of critique because he knows it's the truth."

Even when it's about his own violent reaction costing the Warriors a chance to compete.