Draymond Green has been handed an undisclosed fine by the Warriors after a practice incident in which he punched guard Jordan Poole. After stepping away from the team, Green is set to return on Thursday, and will not be suspended for any games.
That may have played out differently, had the Warriors not won the NBA title a year ago, and if the incident did not take place just before opening night of the season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski says.
“I’m told that the Warriors, they put a significant amount of weight on the fact that opening night was ring night,” Wojnarowski said. “They did not treat this like it was one of 82. They didn’t want to suspend Draymond Green and keep him from that.
“Now if this incident had happened in the regular season or if this has been a regular opening night, and they weren’t there as defending champions, there probably would’ve been a suspension for Draymond Green.”
Video of the incident leaked to TMZ last week. After the two players jawed at one another, Green got into Poole’s face, leading the guard to shove him away. Green then punched Poole, taking him to the ground before other members of the franchise separated the two.
In the aftermath of the fight, reports emerged that the two players’ contract situations played into the animosity between them, something all sides of the situation have denied. Even so, Wojnarowski mentioned Poole’s ongoing contract negotiations, which could lead to a big extension with Golden State after his breakout 2021–22 season. Green is also in need of a new deal, and things are a bit more complicated for the veteran defensive stopper.
After making over $25 million this year, Green has a player option for $27.5 million for the 2023–24 season.
“I think for Draymond Green right now, his options are limited looking beyond Golden State at this age to continue to be paid like he is,” Wojnarowski said, adding that the Warriors should expect him to opt-in to that deal given what his value on the open market will be.
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