Despite rumors to the contrary, it would appear that Klay Thompson is genuinely sad to see Jordan Poole leave the Golden State Warriors. Poole was recently traded to the Washington Wizards as part of the Chris Paul deal. However, since leaving San Francisco, there have been a lot of discussions regarding whether Poole had created fractious relationships with some of the veterans on Golden State’s roster.
In a recent appearance on the ‘Podcast P with Paul George’ podcast, which Wave Sports + Entertainment presents, Thompson discussed Poole’s departure, noting how the young sharpshooter played a significant role in Golden State’s 2022 championship run.
Klay giving jordan Poole his flowers
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“It hurts to see Jordan go. He was homegrown. I saw him put the work in. I saw him go 2-for-15 in a game, but then he would be in the dungeon—which we call our practice facility, because there’s no windows—getting shots up right after the game. I’m like, ‘Man, this kid’s going to be special. And we wouldn’t have won the championship without him. He was so important to us when Steph went down. He’s definately got All-Star potential. I’m excited for him, Washington got a good one.”
Poole’s tenure with the Warriors took a sharp turn when he was embroiled in a controversial incident with Draymond Green last summer, where the veteran forward punched Poole during a training camp workout.
Nevertheless, Poole now finds himself with an opportunity to grow into a starring role with the Wizards, which is something he could never have asked for in Golden State. As such, Poole may be missed by his former teammates, but the trade appears to have worked out for both sides.