Former TMZ Employee Estimates Cost Of Draymond Green Punch Video As Warriors Launch Investigation Into Leak

Draymond Green's punch heard around the world has sparked an investigation. Not into the incident itself, but into the leaked video that may have been sold for upwards of six figures to TMZ.

Earlier this week, news broke that Green had been involved in a physical altercation during practice. He clocked Jordan Poole.

The team got out ahead of the news, released a statement that downplayed the incident and covered its bases. Had it stopped right then and there, it probably would have blown over fairly quickly. But it didn't.

On Friday morning, TMZ Sports obtained video of Draymond Green's punch on Poole and shared it with the world. It was vicious. The 32-year-old forward got up in the 23-year-old guard's face and rocked him.

In response to the video, NBA players did not seem particularly concerned about the punch itself. Rather, they were concerned with the leak and who was responsible for the video getting out.

The Warriors appear to have the same train of thought. Golden State spoke out to ESPN's Ramona Shelburn and Adrian Wojnarowski about its next steps.

While it is "aggressively investigating" the actual incident, it is also extremely concerned with the leak.

There is no telling who could be responsible for the video getting out. It could have been a support staffer, it could have been an assistant coach, it could have been the security guard who has access to all of the footage. Nobody knows.

How much did the Draymond Green punch video cost TMZ?

Whomever it was, should he or she be found out, he or she will likely lose his or her job. If not worse.

So was it worth it? Did he/she/they get paid enough to make getting fired worth it?

There is no way to know the exact amount, but former TMZ host Van Lathan Jr. gave his best estimate. Based on his knowledge of the company and how it operates, he believes that the leaker was paid anywhere between $50,000 and $150,000— depending on his or her level of intelligence.

As things currently stand, there is no telling who got paid what. The person responsible is likely hiding at home keeping his or her mouth shut. But as the story continues to unfold, it will be interesting to see if he or she gets named publicly and whether the leaker will unveil the number.