The Warriors have clarified that their future lies with Jordan Poole, not Draymond Green.
After Green punched Poole in the jaw, it seems this will likely be Green’s last year with the team.
Poole, on the other hand, has a very bright future.
The Golden State Warriors and guard Jordan Poole are finalizing a four-year, $140 million contract extension, his agents, Drew Morrison and Austin Brown of CAA Sports, told ESPN on Saturday.
The sides are finalizing the details on the rookie scale extension Saturday, and a formal agreement is expected later in the day, Morrison and Brown said.
Poole’s extension comes ahead of Monday’s deadline for members of the 2019 NBA draft class. It also comes in the aftermath of Draymond Green’s punch of Poole during a recent practice session that shook the franchise.
Poole, 23, has emerged as one of the best young guards in the league, and his extension represents a commitment to him as one of the Warriors’ cornerstones for years to come. Poole, the 28th overall pick in 2019, has developed into a significant offensive player for the defending NBA champions.
He started 51 games for the Warriors last season, averaging career highs in points (18.5), assists (4.0) and rebounds (3.4) before a spectacular run in the playoffs — when he scored 25 points on 60% shooting six times in the team’s title run, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That tied him with Jerry West in 1968 for the second most in a single postseason, trailing only Andrew Toney in 1982.
After having only one 30-point game in his first two NBA regular seasons, Poole delivered 10 30-point games in 2021-22, becoming the first Warriors player 22 or younger to do that in a season since Monta Ellis in 2007-08, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Green will have to decide at the end of the year. He can opt into the last year of his contract at $27 million or become an unrestricted free agent and see if he can secure a long-term contract with another team.
Flip the pages for Green, punching Poole in the jaw.