In 2022, Jordan Poole emerged as a rising star for the Golden State Warriors, playing a pivotal role in their NBA championship victory. At just 22 years old, Poole showcased his potential, averaging an impressive 17.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 50.8% from the field. His dynamic performance alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson led many to believe the Warriors had found a new “Splash Brother” to complement their legendary backcourt.
However, the promise of a bright future unraveled just months later. On October 5, 2022, a shocking incident during team practice saw Draymond Green punch Poole, marking the beginning of the end for the young guard’s tenure with the Warriors. The altercation fractured their relationship, creating tension within the locker room that would prove difficult to mend.
Poole’s 2022-23 season was a rollercoaster, and his struggles culminated in a disappointing playoff performance. In the postseason, he averaged just 10.3 points on a dismal 34.1% shooting from the field. By July 2023, the Warriors traded Poole to the Washington Wizards, signaling the end of his time with the team.
While the fallout with Green is often cited as the primary reason for Poole’s departure, new details have emerged about another significant factor: a rift with Klay Thompson. According to Tim Kawakami on the Tom Tolbert Show, Thompson was unsettled by Poole’s ambition to take his starting role. “They had to move off of Jordan for two reasons, well, Draymond and Klay,” Kawakami revealed. “I’ve heard this more and more that Klay was not comfortable with this guy pushing him. And Klay thought, ‘I’ve earned this starting role. Why is this guy keeps saying he should be the starter?'”
Kawakami noted that Poole’s demeanor, rather than explicit public statements, may have contributed to the tension. “And not publicly, maybe so much as just in the way he carried himself,” he explained. “And that’s fine for a young player, but they couldn’t keep that guy that got punched by Draymond, not his fault, and who was making things tense with Klay.”
Klay was “uncomfortable” with Jordan Poole pushing for a starting role đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/AjnwHwoEQw
— dre (@OnBallSteph) May 28, 2025
Despite Poole’s exit, Thompson’s own journey with the Warriors took an unexpected turn. In the latter stages of the 2023-24 season, the veteran sharpshooter was moved to a bench role, a humbling shift for a player who had long been a cornerstone of the team’s success.
The combination of the Green altercation and the reported friction with Thompson painted a complex picture of a team struggling to balance its championship pedigree with the emergence of new talent. Poole’s departure marked a tearful divorce from a Warriors organization that once saw him as a cornerstone of their future, leaving fans to wonder what might have been had the relationships within the team not fractured.