A few weeks ago Draymond Green sent shockwaves throughout the Golden State Warriors franchise when he decided to brutally punch his teammate Jordan Poole.
Now, the dust is starting to settle a bit and all parties involved are moving forward.
Late last week, veteran Klay Thompson offered his two cents on where everyone goes from here.
Early this week, the victim of Green’s assault, Poole, did the same.
“We’re here to win a championship.”
Jordan Poole addresses the altercation with Draymond Green pic.twitter.com/MBab7Mwx9J
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 16, 2022
“He apologized,” Poole said.
“… we’re here to play basketball and everyone in the locker room and on our team knows what it takes to win a championship.
“And we’re going to do that on the court and I mean that’s really all I have to say on the matter. We’re here to win a championship.”
The Warriors may not have suspended Green for his actions, but they did make two very telling moves in the aftermath of what transpired.
First, they gave Poole a four-year, $140 million contract extension. That signified that the front office viewed him as an integral piece of the franchise’s future.
Secondly, and perhaps most tellingly, they offered Green no similar reassurance. The 32-year-old is owed $25.8 million in 2022-23 and then has a player option for $27.6 million next year.
After that – free agency looms. And while Green has expressed a desire for a long-term deal from Golden State, ownership has dragged its feet.
That has led to speculation about one blockbuster 3-team trade perhaps being inevitable at some point over the next year. Time will tell if it actually comes to fruition.
Poole seems content with how everything has gone since the infamous punch because the Warriors have offered him reassurance that they care about him. Money speaks quite loudly.
This video proves Tennessee football fans are built different. https://t.co/d3RRwrFdkE
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 17, 2022
Green has yet to be afforded the same reassurance.
Will that change at any point in the foreseeable future?
Time will tell.
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Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
