Draymond Green Reacts to Blockbuster Trade Involving Ex-Teammate From Infamous Fight

Prior to their Wednesday night trade up to select former Maryland forward Derik Queen with the 13th overall pick during the 2025 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans made another move on Tuesday.

Just over 24 hours ahead of the start of the showcase, New Orleans sent CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and the 40th overall pick.

During the latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis” released on Thursday, Golden State Warriors longtime forward Draymond Green analyzed the trade.

What made Green’s assessment particularly notable was his prior relationship with Poole, who played the first four seasons of NBA career from 2019-2023 with the four-time All-Star in the Bay Area.

The duo won a championship together at the end of the 2021-22 campaign and Green had praise for Poole when discussing the Pelicans-Wizards blockbuster.

“When I look at this Pelicans move, I like it,” Green said. “I think when you add a talent like Jordan Poole — CJ is kind of who CJ is — Jordan still has room for growth. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of his growth yet. I think getting in an organization like New Orleans under Joe Dumars’ leadership with Willie Green as coach will be a really good situation for him.”

Poole turned 26 in mid-June, while McCollum will be 34 at the start of next season, which gives New Orleans an advantage in the deal, according to Green.

“I think Washington, the first year (Poole) spent adjusting. Last year he had a really good year numbers-wise, but when you’re on that team it don’t matter. When I look at this for the Pelicans, I look at this as a net-positive,” the former Defensive Player of the Year said. “You didn’t have to go crazy from a salary-cap standpoint. I think Jordan may make a little less than CJ or right around the same amount, but I think you still got time for him to prove himself, a couple more years left on his deal. I think he’s still got time to prove himself, and also with some young guys that are also looking to take that step.”

Green Says ‘Watch Out For’ Pelicans in Western Conference

The Michigan State product said now with a core of Poole, former All-Star guard Dejounte Murray (coming back from a torn Achilles), former First Team All-Defender Herbert Jones and two-time All-Star Zion Williamson, the Pelicans could be a dark horse contender in the Western Conference next season.

“So I think they’ve become a team that you’ve got to watch out for in the West,” Green said. “They’ve got a lot of talent and if they can put it together they can creep up and possibly have a good year.”

After being traded from the Warriors to the Wizards in July 2023 as part of a deal that saw future Hall-of-Fame point guard Chris Paul join the Dubs, Poole averaged 18.8 points, 4.4 assists and 29.8 minutes per game across 146 contests during his two years in the nation’s capital, while recording a .422/.353/.880 shooting line.

Green Addresses Punching Jordan Poole

Green’s positive words about Poole come less than three years following their heated altercation during an October 2022 practice. The viral incident was caught on camera and resulted in Green punching Poole in the face, which ultimately led to a team-instituted fine.

The 2012 second-round pick has been involved in controversy after controversy across his decade-plus in the league.

During an appearance on “The Pivot Podcast” earlier this week, Green addressed the 2022 dustup.

“Age 33, 34, 35, I still learn those lessons. That situation happened, I’m like, all right, cool, we move on. And then when we couldn’t, I was like, huh. And for a while it made me think like, man, this dude nothing like me. Cuz when those things happen, you just move on. … But it taught me so much because it taught me, you’re right, he may not be like you. He ain’t from where you from. The things you went through, the way you had to come up, he may not have came up like that,” he said. “So, for that five seconds, I forgot where I was at. Because I immediately went to what I know. But what you know don’t really work here. And everybody say, oh man, but you was ten years in, you should know better. … Still learning, nine years in. But, it’s them lessons like that ultimately make me who I am to this day because, man, I f—ed that up.”