Getty Draymond Green and Jordan Poole celebrate a play in a Golden State Warriors game.
The Golden State Warriors already had a measure urgency to give breakout star Jordan Poole an extension that would lock him down for the long term, and one insider believes that the franchise may now have to make a decision between him and a longtime veteran.
The Warriors have been playing damage control since a video leaked showing big man Draymond Green punching Poole during a confrontation at practice. Green has since apologized and said he will step away from the team for a time, but the fallout from the incident could stretch into this year, The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami speculated.
Poole Extension Becomes Priority
The Warriors have some important decisions to make over the course of the next year, starting with Poole who is eligible for a rookie-level extension through October 17. As Kawakami noted, Poole could be the key to the team’s plans to build a team that can remain in title contention for years to come.
“Add it up. Run through the scenarios. Connect the dots. Look at the Warriors’ payroll plans. Scan the NBA actuarial table. Everything leads back to Poole,” Kawakami wrote. “If he doesn’t want to stay here after this, a lot of things collapse.”
Warriors owner Joe Lacob has spoken about a plan to build two tracks for the team, one that can currently contend for another title and a young core that will compete for years to come. Poole would be a key part of both tracks.
Draymond reiterated his love for Poole and will give the young guard space to repair their relationship “on his terms”
Kawakami noted that after the punch incident, the Warriors may need to make a decision about whether to extend Poole or Green — and it would likely come down to Poole, but at a higher price than they may have initially expected to pay.
“If [Poole] doesn’t want to play with Draymond any longer than is necessary, the Warriors will probably have to consider if they need to end their relationship with Draymond, one of their foundational players and personalities,” he wrote. “If Poole does want to stay here after the punch, the Warriors almost have to offer him $30 million a year, which is more than they wanted to pay and would trigger future serious salary offloads, probably involving major veterans. You don’t have to search far in this story to figure out which vet might be the leading candidate for this.”
Green Addresses Extension Tension
Green spoke to reporters on Saturday, offering a public apology for Poole and also addressing the rumors that there was some tension over the impending payday that Poole could be getting. Green said earlier in the summer that he didn’t expect to get an extension from the Warriors, and many insiders believe that Poole is seen as the bigger priority.
Draymond Green said the looming contract situation “had nothing” to do with the punch of Jordan Poole
“It’s (not) over a contract or him getting an extension or me getting an extension,” Green said, via The Sporting News. “I can assure that’s — I don’t count other people’s pockets number one … That is simply hating on another man’s situation, and that’s something you just don’t do … That had nothing to do with absolutely anything.”