Friday will be Jordan Poole's first Chase Center appearance since being dealt to the Wizards this summer.
The move shocked Poole, the NBA, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who still don't appreciate the rookie guard's performance four months later.
I look back at that, and I hate that it happened,” Kerr told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “I know in my heart that we handled the Draymond Green punch as best we could. We could have done better in hindsight, which is always 20/20
Jordan is a fantastic success story, therefore I regret how it ended. Our marriage was terrific for him and us. Assisted in our title triumph. We helped him become a champion and earn a life-changing deal. Everything was incredibly successful. But I hated the ending.”
Poole's last year with Golden State was odd. After winning their fourth NBA title in eight years, the Warriors committed him to a hefty multiyear deal extension, betting on the young guard's future. Poole was attacked by teammate and Warriors veteran player Draymond Green days before the big payoff and traded to Washington D.C. for 38-year-old Chris Paul eight months later.
Since then, all parties have agreed that the event contributed to Golden State's troubles last season after an early playoff loss and numerous crucial choices. Still, the Warriors' departure of a player they seemed committed to for the future surprised everyone
Curry told Slater, “Unless you were in this building, you can always talk about what could’ve been punishment; “But unless you were here, having these conversations daily and everything we tried to keep in the house that got out, it made everything more complicated.
We shall be judged for everything. We made the most of a difficult circumstance. It's anything they decide between them." Milwaukee native Kevon Looney, who was close to Poole, thinks the incident's media coverage didn't help.