Before the 2022-23 NBA season got underway, the Golden State Warriors dealt with some internal issues, with veteran forward Draymond Green and young guard Jordan Poole getting into a fight during practice, with the footage of the fight getting leaked to the media.
The footage leaking and becoming public is the worst thing that could have happened for the Warriors, as it created an internal beef between the players that never improved and ultimately resulted in one player getting paid and the other getting traded this summer.
Although it was uncertain whether Green would stay in San Francisco after hitting NBA free agency this summer, the team didn’t waste much time securing his long-term future by signing him to a lucrative deal.
That deal with Green meant the team had to make a move to trade a big contract, and ironically, that turned out to be Poole who was shipped to the Washington Wizards, which new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. admitted had to happen during an interview with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic.
Warriors GM on the Jordan Poole trade:
“We needed to get Draymond back… That matters. So we prioritized that. And from there, we knew… another contract probably needed to be moved. And Jordan ended up being that one.”
(via @timkawakami, https://t.co/1vPRer5999) pic.twitter.com/DFnzXRlkX1
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 6, 2023
Along with having a lucrative deal with the team that was signed last summer, Poole didn’t do a great job fitting in during this past season, as he made poor choices on the basketball floor, especially regarding his shot-taking.
Also, Green brings more to the table than Poole, as the young guard is one-dimensional and struggles on the defensive end of the floor.
Plus, the relationship between Green and Poole was strained, as the youngster never really got over the fight, which makes it no surprise that he was the player the team chose to move this summer.
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