The Warriors launched an investigation Friday into the leak of video footage showing Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole in the face this week at a closed-door practice.
The now-viral video obtained and released by TMZ Friday morning shows Green and Poole apparently matched up in a drill or scrimmage inside the Warriors’ Chase Center practice facility on Wednesday.
As Green walks to the 3-point arc in the 57-second clip, he and Poole appear to be talking to one another, though it’s unclear what was said as there’s no audio accompanying the video. For several seconds, with Green outside the arc and Poole on the baseline, the two continue speaking, though they aren’t looking at one another.
Green then walks toward Poole and the two keep talking until Green bumps Poole in the chest. Poole pushes Green back with both hands, then Green lunges to take a swing at Poole. Green grabs Poole as he staggers backward and both players hit the wall behind the baseline before staffers step in to pull them apart.
The Warriors are taking “every legal course of action” to determine how the video was made public, according to ESPN.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers, coach Steve Kerr and star guard Steph Curry spoke Thursday about the incident after news broke Wednesday night of potential discipline for Green.
Myers said “everybody’s fine” and Green apologized to Poole and the team Thursday morning before leaving the facility before practice. Myers noted the team would handle any discipline internally and he did not anticipate Green to miss any games. Kerr said that he expected Green to return to practice Saturday. The Warriors were off Friday.
Neither Poole nor Green was made available to reporters Thursday.
It’s unclear what triggered Green to hit Poole, with Curry saying, “It was nothing out of the ordinary until it wasn’t.”
Both Kerr and Curry refuted reports that Poole’s attitude had been shifted heading into training camp as his representative and the Warriors discuss a lucrative contract extension.
“It’s absolutely BS,” Curry said of the report. “JP has been great. There’s nothing that warranted the situation [Wednesday].”
Myers shot down the idea that ongoing contract negotiations fueled the dust-up, but it’s a reality that’s hard to ignore.
Poole, Green and Andrew Wiggins are all in the market for new deals. The Warriors have until Oct. 17 to strike a deal with Poole’s camp for a rookie extension that could be worth in the ballpark of what Green, 32, has made in the first 10 seasons of his career (just shy of $130 million, per SpoTrac). If they don’t agree on something by then, Poole, 23, will be a restricted free agent next offseason. Meanwhile, there isn’t a deadline for Green and Wiggins.
With Poole’s contract situation at the forefront of the Warriors’ minds, Green said at media day last month he didn’t think an extension would happen for him before the season starts.
Green is entering the final year of his current contract, though he has a player option worth $27.6 million for the 2023-24 campaign. That means this could potentially be his last season with the Warriors.
Golden State typically embraces Green’s fiery emotions but he clearly crossed the line at Wednesday’s practice and could impact his future with the team and his next deal.
The Warriors are hoping to put the incident behind them and not allow it to have any lingering effects as they prepare to open the regular season against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 18 at Chase Center.
“It’s unfortunate and not gonna deny it,” Myers said. “It will take some time to move through, but we’ll move through it. … I’m confident that we will.”
