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Warriors' Steve Kerr: Trust Was 'Lost' After Draymond Green, Jordan Poole Altercation
May 16, 2023
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted the preseason fracas between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole altered the trust in the locker room during the team's attempt at repeating as NBA champions this season.
"There was some trust lost … we have to get back to what made us successful, which is a trusting environment," Kerr told reporters Tuesday.
The Warriors chose to fine Green rather than suspend him after the 2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year punched Poole in the face during a preseason practice. Green briefly stepped away from the team but was back less than a week later with what amounted to a slap on the wrist.
Poole told Logan Murdock of The Ringer that his interactions with Green were strictly "business" following the incident.
"I don't have no answer for you," Poole said when asked about his relationship with Green. "Other than that, we was just on the court and teammates, and we was out there trying to win games.
"What I do recall saying at the beginning of the season is that, 'We're coming. We're going to come out here. We're going to play on the court. We're going to try to win a championship.' We were teammates. It's just business, honestly. And that's really all it was, it is, it has been. It's just been business. It's been basketball."
Green has a $27.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season and could hit free agency this summer in search of a long-term contract. Kerr was still adamant he wants Green back on the team next season.
"If Draymond is not back, we are not a championship contender," Kerr told reporters.
The longtime Warriors coach also indicated he also still sees Poole as a "foundational" member of the team's roster. However, from a purely financial perspective, the Warriors may have to choose whether they would rather retain Green or Poole this summer.
Poole's four-year, $128 million contract extension kicks in next season, which comes with a $28.7 million cap number. Even if Green is willing to take a slight pay cut from the $27.6 million he's owed next season—let's say a three-year, $75 million deal—the Warriors' tax bill could approach $250 million.
Not only are there deep financial implications, but the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement placed significant restrictions on the league's highest-spending teams. Any team more than $17.5 million above the NBA's tax apron is now restricted to veteran's minimum contracts for free agents and bans them from signing players in the buyout market. There are several other restrictions related to future draft picks, all of which incentivize teams to not be consistently over the second tax apron.
The Warriors won't be able to sneak under that apron with Poole on the roster and Green making a market-value salary. Anthony Slater and Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the Warriors are heistant to trade Poole, but do not be surprised if his name winds up coming up in trade talks this summer once the financial realities set in.