Proposed Blockbuster Sees Warriors Trade Draymond Green

Getty Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.

It’s no secret that the Golden State Warriors have some difficult decisions to make soon. By the time next summer comes around, four of their core players will be in need of extensions — Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole.

Paying all four guys next offseason will be a monstrous task. While many people assume the Warriors will have to choose between Wiggins and Poole, the real choice is probably between Thompson and Green as the team looks toward getting younger.

With Green reportedly searching for a max contract, the Warriors could decide to ship him off in a sign-and-trade and keep Thompson, who would likely cost them less money.

Though it’s more likely that Golden State bites the bullet and just signs Green to a massive deal, here’s a potential sign-and-trade that could see the Warriors forward find a new home.

Potential Green Sign-&-Trade

Seeing Green playing in another uniform would be a gut punch for Warriors fans, but sometimes moving on is for the best. Just ask the 2013 Boston Celtics. They ditched their past and planned for the future.

In this proposed trade with the Atlanta Hawks, the Warriors would be doing just that. Here’s an outline of the potential deal:

Warriors receive: John Collins

Hawks receive: Green, 2026 first-round pick (lottery protected)

If the Hawks don’t end up trading before next offseason, this trade could make a ton of sense for both sides. Collins has been on the trade market for the past two seasons, and in this deal, they would finally be sending him out.

Golden State would land yet another young player to build around. Once Curry and Thompson retire, they could trot out a starting lineup of Poole, Moses Moody, Wiggins, Collins and James Wiseman. They could obviously tinker with that idea, but the point is, that’s a great young core. (And that’s not even mentioning Jonathan Kuminga and Kevon Looney.)

But the real question is, why would the Hawks make this deal?

Why the Hawks Make This Trade

For the Hawks, this would be a chance for them to put all their chips on the table. Is Collins the better player right now? Maybe. But the real question is, who is the better winner? That would be Green. And if Atlanta wants to get closer to winning a title, this would help with that.

Everyone has seen how dominant Curry and Green have been on offense over the years. Imagine Green getting to implement those strategies with Trae Young. The Hawks guard would have the chance to learn from an all-time great.

Atlanta would also recoup a pick in this trade after they gave up a ton in the deal for Dejounte Murray, but the primary reason behind making this deal would be to add a proven winner to the mix, as well as someone who can help transform their defense. A defense with Green, Murray and Clint Capela would be very fun to watch.

So, while it would be sad to see Green leave Golden State, if this deal were ever to be on the table, the Warriors should seriously consider it.