Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
With the February 9 trade deadline quickly approaching, the Golden State Warriors have some decisions to make. And considering Draymond Green’s contract will be up at the end of the year, as he is widely expected to decline his player option, trading him could be an option.
Plus, according to sources who spoke with Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports, he may have one foot out the door anyway.
“Hard to say what you could get for Draymond at this point because he can be a free agent, and everyone assumes he’s going to the Lakers next summer,” a Western Conference executive told Deveney. “You’d probably have to take back a bad contract to move him, and they’re not going to see that as being worth it, so he’s not going anywhere. But it is a big shadow over that team. They’ve had injuries and some bad personnel decisions, but the Draymond thing is still there.”
Green has spent his entire career with the Warriors, so picturing him in another jersey seems odd. However, that same source also indicated that the Warriors should look to move Green by this year’s trade deadline.
“They should [trade him this year],” a West exec told Deveney. “If they made the decision that they’re not giving up any of the young kids, then that’s fine, but are you going to just keep chugging forward with what you’ve got? Obviously, the Draymond punch with [Jordan] Poole was a bigger deal than they let on, it is still dragging down that team. No doubt about it.”
So far this year, Green has appeared in 45 of the team’s 50 games and is playing 31.6 minutes per contest – the most he’s played since the 2017-18 season. Green is averaging 7.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game on 51.5% shooting from the floor and 32.5% shooting from behind the three-point line.
Draymond Green Sends Warning About Future
The Warriors star seems to know his time with the team could be coming to an end, too. During an interview with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report, he hinted that he may not be in Golden State for much longer.
“If you don’t get to know the business, then you can be blindsided and be, like, ‘Oh man, everything I’ve done, I’d thought I’d be there forever,” Green said. “I would love to be [with the Warriors forever]. [But] I understand the luxury tax. I understand you’ve got these young guys and contracts up, and they have to be paid. I understand all of those things. And so, just for me, that’s what I mean by the writing’s on the wall.”
‘Pretty Strong’ Chance Draymond Green Leaves Warriors
In addition, sources who spoke with Deveney toward the end of December in 2022 indicated that there is a “pretty strong” chance he will leave the Warriors this summer.
“Pretty strong,” a Western Conference executive said of Green’s chances to leave the Warriors. “If they win a championship again this year, there will be pressure to keep things together, but the stuff with the punch [on Jordan Poole] in the preseason, that probably put the nail in it. There was already a good chance he would go just because his production is not what it was and he is getting older [32]. It would be hard to justify paying him $20-something-million a year.”