According to multiple reports, Draymond Green tried to make amends with Jordan Poole after punching him in the face. And when those efforts were unsuccessful, the Golden State Warriors had to make a tough choice.
They could’ve kept Poole and let Green walk away as a free agent or try to complete a sing-and-trade, making a commitment to the future. Or they could do what they did, which was trade him to have enough money to keep Green.
And while not many NBA teams would’ve chosen the aging veteran over the rising star, Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. realized that they could no longer coexist, both for character and financial purposes.
Mike Dunleavy Chose Draymond Over Poole
“I can’t say that’s not an argument,” Dunleavy told The Athletic. “Can make a good point about that. I think the biggest thing really is just financially we’re in a position where we had to make some decisions. I think we were able to make a decision where we could free some of that while also still being highly competitive and having a chance to win a championship. It just ended up having to be a decision we had to make and so be it.
“At the same time, we needed to get Draymond back, what he brings to this team and what he has meant for the last 10 years. That’s going to keep going. That matters,” he added. “So we prioritized that. And from there, we knew … another contract probably needed to be moved. And Jordan ended up being that one. But we feel like getting a player back of Chris Paul’s caliber can negate that in some ways or pick up that slack, It’s kind of the business that we do. And we’re in a good spot.”
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At the end of the day, Green had done more than enough for the organization to be granted another chance. Whether that’ll be the right decision in the future remains to be seen.
