Getty Andre Iguodala of the Golden State Warriors enters the court prior to the Washington Wizards v Golden State Warriors - NBA Japan Games at Saitama Super Arena on October 2, 2022 in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images)
Opening day of the NBA’s regular season remains nearly two weeks away, but postseason-level intensity already abounds at the Golden State Warriors‘ facility.
Anthony Slater and Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that teammates Draymond Green and Jordan Poole engaged in a heated argument at practice on Wednesday, October 5. The conflict ended with Golden State coaches cutting the session short after Green allegedly “forcefully struck” Poole during the altercation.
A subsequent report from Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports followed, citing league sources who intimated that Poole had provoked Green and other members of the team with a change in his attitude related to a new contract he is expected to receive at some point over the next year.
Dubs veteran leader Andre Iguodala was compelled to take to Twitter Wednesday night and set the record straight, at least as he sees it, on Poole’s behavior and general demeanor since the team reunited in the wake of winning a title.
What we not gone do is talk crazy about my young fella JP… great character kid… miss me with all that other bs… straight from the “SOURCE”
“What we not gone do is talk crazy about my young fella [Jordan Poole] … great character kid … miss me with all that other bs,” Iguodala wrote. “Straight from the ‘SOURCE.'”
Iguodala went on to offer a brief comment on Green, as well.
And it’s family business with my bro @Money23Green too…
“And it’s family business with my bro @Money23Green too…” Iguodala wrote in a second tweet.
Green, Poole Have History of Heated Arguments During Warriors’ Practices
GettyDraymond Green (left) and Jordan Poole (right) of the Golden State Warriors celebrate after the team scores a basket against the New Orleans Pelicans at Chase Center on November 5, 2021 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Slater and Charania noted that Green and Poole have been known to go at one another in fiery practice altercations in the past, but that what occurred Wednesday took things to another level.
“Green and Poole came chest-to-chest, with both players pushing and shoving each other prior to Green’s escalation of the physical altercation, those sources said,” according to The Athletic’s report. “Poole and Green are known to regularly get into verbal arguments, but the team’s management and leadership believes a line was crossed.”
Poole did not sustain any serious injuries as a result of the fight, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
In the tweet to which Iguodala apparently took exception, Haynes noted that Green assumed responsibility for his role in Wednesday’s conflict. However, Haynes went on to cite sources who seemingly blamed the argument, at least in part, on Poole’s attitude.
“Draymond Green was apologetic in aftermath of the altercation with Jordan Poole, but there was a buildup stemming from teammates noticing a change in Poole’s behavior throughout camp with the guard on the verge of securing a lucrative extension, league sources tell @YahooSports,” Haynes tweeted.
Slater and Charania noted further in their report that “internal discipline is imminent,” which could mean a fine for Green or a suspension from team activities, including regular season games. The Warriors begin the year on Wednesday, October 18, with a home contest against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Warriors Must Sign Poole Within 2 Weeks or Let Him Hit Free Agency
GettyJordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors is up for a contract extension.
The Dubs have until the season opener to offer Poole an extension off of his four-year rookie contract, which ends in the summer of 2023. If Golden State fails to agree to a deal with the dynamic shooting guard by then, he will become a restricted free agent at the end of the season. He is expected to command a contract worth more than $100 million.
The Warriors would still control Poole’s future, retaining the right to match any competing offer he might receive, which would keep him in the Bay Area.
However, the Dubs have become a source of envy around the league due to their extended success, new and highly profitable arena, and the combination of those two factors allowing the team to spend more money on its rosters in each of the last two years than any other franchise in NBA history (when figuring in luxury tax penalties, including repeater tax penalties, on top of roster spending).
Competitors often include details in offers to restricted free agents, such as no-trade clauses or player options, that make it hurt more for teams to retain players they let reach restricted free agency. Considering Golden State’s relationship with most of the other teams in the league, coupled with Poole’s All-Star potential on the offensive end, it is almost a certainty that he will receive competing offers that will sting the Warriors for years to come should they choose to match.
Forward Andrew Wiggins will also hit free agency next summer (unrestricted) if he isn’t extended by June 30, while Green has a player option he can exercise next summer to return to unrestricted free agency if he chooses.
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Warriors’ Iguodala Breaks Silence on Cause Behind Green, Poole Fight