Getty Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.
Draymond Green’s time with the Golden State Warriors could be up after this season. Green’s contract includes a player-option, that would allow him to elect to become a free agent this summer, after 11 seasons in the Bay.
A potential-exit from the star forward would certainly leave the Warriors with a gap to fill.
During a recent conversation with Heavy Sports‘ Sean Deveney, an anonymous Western Conference executive highlighted a potential reunion with Harrison Barnes, who won a title with the Dubs in 2015, as a player who could help plug the hole.
“I could see them trying to get someone to come on with a small mid-level deal, take less money,” the source told Deveney. “I think they would welcome Harrison Barnes back if he would play for a lot less money than he could get on the market. Again, he does not replace Draymond. But he can help fill the void.”
Barnes left the Warriors back in 2017, joining the Dallas Mavericks. He now plays his basketball for the Sacramento Kings, where he’s having a solid season.
Sacramento’s No. 40 has started in all 65 of the team’s games this year. He’s averaging 15 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, while shooting 47.4% from the field and 37.1% from deep.
Warriors May Have to Turn to Young Wings if Draymond Leaves
Aside from signing an inexpensive player like Barnes, there’s not much Golden State can do to bring in talent this summer, should Green decide to leave.
Deveney’s source echoed that reality, and highlighted two of the team’s young wings as potential candidates to try and fill the former Defensive Player of the Year’s shoes.
“No cap space, not a whole lot of trade assets—not a lot they can do. And no one is really quite like Draymond, right?” The source pointed out. “The plan was to eventually have Jonathan Kuminga come in and fill that role, and he has the potential to do it better—he has so much more athleticism than Draymond. But he is not the passer, he is not the same thinker Draymond is on the floor. Dray is a unique guy, unique skillset. They’re not going to replace that.”
The source later looped Patrick Baldwin Jr. into the conversation, but doubled down on neither him, nor Kuminga being able to fill the void right away.
“They like Kuminga and Pat Baldwin, they feel like Baldwin was a lottery talent that slipped down to them in the draft and they want to give him a shot, too. Neither of those guys is ready, but if Draymond opts out, they’re not going to have that much of a choice.”
Mavericks Considered Great Spot for Warriors’ Draymond Green
Deveney got word from a separate source, who told him that the Mavericks could be a suitor for Green, should he leave the Warriors.
“I have always thought Dallas would be the right place for him. Put him with Luka (Doncic), another supercompetitive guy, and those two could really raise everyone’s level,” the source told Deveney. “Or they could drive everyone crazy, they could drive each other crazy and wind up at each other’s throats. I think Draymond is the exact right kind of guy you want with Luka, though, someone who cares about winning as much as he does.”