MY ACCOUNT
Jordan Poole is finalising a four-year, $140million extension with the Golden State Warriors.
ESPN reported the 23-year-old’s agents had told of the imminent deal on Saturday, with an official announcement expected to follow.
The deadline for rookie extensions for members of the 2019 NBA Draft class is Monday, with Poole’s future a priority for defending champions Golden State.
The Warriors guard played in all 22 playoff games last season en route to the title, although he only started in the first five of those, losing his place in the lineup after Stephen Curry returned to full fitness.
Poole averaged 17.0 points in 27.5 minutes in the postseason, having contributed 18.5 points per game in the regular season, making him the team’s third scorer behind Curry (25.5) and Klay Thompson (20.4). His free-throw percentage of 92.5 led the league.
The 2021-22 season was Poole’s third in the NBA but his first as a key man in a title-contending team, as only Andrew Wiggins (2,330) played more minutes for Golden State in the regular season (2,283).
Poole was the 28th pick when drafted by the Warriors three years ago, but he led players in his class in combined regular season and postseason minutes (2,889) by a wide margin last season (Tyler Herro second, 2,532).
As the Warriors look to defend their title while transitioning to a younger generation, with James Wiseman set for a big year, Poole will again have a prominent role this season.
His and the team’s preparations for the new campaign were marred by a practice court incident involving Draymond Green, however.
Reports told of a confrontation between the pair, before footage emerged on social media showing Green punching Poole.
Green was fined by the Warriors but not suspended, with coach Steve Kerr describing the episode as his “biggest crisis” in eight hugely successful years with the team.
