Getty One NBA insider revealed a previously unknown issue Klay Thompson had with former teammate Jordan Poole.
The issues between Jordan Poole and Draymond Green have been well documented.
Ever since Green punched Poole during a preseason practice in October of 2022, questions surrounding the chemistry of the Golden State Warriors were raised — and most were answered at season’s end after the Dubs lost to the L.A. Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr confirmed after the season there was “no hiding” that the physical altercation had a negative impact on the team and when Golden State traded Poole, Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins to the Washington Wizards on June 22, the Dubs
The Ringer’s Logan Murdock appeared on the June 29 episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” and Murdock revealed Green wasn’t the only veteran on the team who had issues with Poole.
Murdock: Klay Thompson Had Issues With Poole Shooting ‘Too Much’
Kerr says there’s “no hiding” that the incident between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole at the start of the year impacted their season.
“There was some trust lost … we have to get back to what made us successful, which is a trusting environment.”
Poole, who the Warriors inked to a four-year extension worth up to $140 million less than two weeks after Green punched him, spent the 2022-23 season “isolated” from the team’s central core, which includes Green, 3-point ace Klay Thompson and superstar Steph Curry.
“I don’t remember the last time somebody got traded before their rookie extension kicks in,” Murdock told Simmons about Poole. “He was isolated from the group, right?” Murdock continued, also noting Poole “had allies on the team,” including Andrew Wiggins and center Kevon Looney — who, like Poole, is from Wisconsin.
But a rift existed between the team’s veterans and Poole, Murdock said, getting specific about qualms Thompson in particular had.
“All the established guys had some version of a problem with Jordan Poole, whether it was Klay ironically saying that Jordan doesn’t pass the ball enough and shoots too much,” Murdoch said. “And then you have Draymond, who sees Jordan as this guy, is like: ‘Yeah, I did punch him. I did do all these things, but now I don’t have a voice within the locker room because of what happened.’ … And then you have Steph who is trying to bring all of this together.”
Klay Excited to Play With Chris Paul
Murdock isn’t the only one to reveal tensions between Poole and the Dubs.
“The Warriors decided that Poole was an extraneous and inefficient member of their roster,” The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami wrote on June 28. “That was the precipitating issue. The Warriors wanted out of the $123 million deal they gave Poole only eight months earlier because his play last season didn’t meet that value, especially given their extreme luxury-tax pressures. They knew he wanted a bigger role and they knew that almost certainly wouldn’t happen as long as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were on the team.”
Poole was one of 10 players in the NBA to play in all 82 games last season. He averaged 20.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 30.0 minutes a game. Now, he’s expected to play a huge role in Washington, while the Dubs have added another aging veteran in Paul to the mix. Thompson, for one, is looking forward to what the 38-year-old Paul will bring.
“Any time you get to play with a player who is one of the best of your generation it’s an honor,” Thompson told Anthony Slater of The Athletic after Paul was traded to Golden State.
“It’s a little weird because we’ve had so many battles in the past with Chris, and he’s led so many teams that nearly knocked us off or did knock us off all the way back in 2014. I think he’s just going to add such a calming presence and leadership component that we need. I know Steph and him have a long history together being both from North Carolina. For me, it’s going to be a smooth transition playing with such a passer and playmaker, I’m just excited.”