Getty Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green reacts to a foul call during a bout with the Phoenix Suns.
Three weeks have passed since Draymond Green’s headline-grabbing altercation with teammate Jordan Poole. And, for the most part, the two players and the Golden State Warriors as a whole seem to be weathering the storm.
After five games, Green is putting up the kind of line that Dub Nation has come to expect from him — 9.6 PPG, 5.4 APG and 5.4 RPG. Also: the Warriors have outscored their opponents by 12.2 points per 100 possessions when he has been on the court, the No. 2 mark teamwide. Meanwhile, the Warriors are 3-2 in the early campaign.
Still, one can’t help but shake the feeling that Green’s days with the franchise could be numbered. Not only have there been reports of an icy locker room in the wake of the incident but Golden State’s move to sign both Poole and Andrew Wiggins to big-time extensions hasn’t left much in the coffers for Green’s next deal.
Should the Warriors look to move on from Green — or should he decide not to pick up his option for next season — one Western Conference GM has some ideas about where he might fit in.
A Homecoming for Draymond?
When asked by Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney if there are teams out there with the ability to both A) pay Green something close to his desired, near-max salary and B) take advantage of his talents in Dubs-like fashion, the GM immediately started thinking about a homecoming for the baller.
“The first team that comes to mind is Detroit of course,” the GM said. “[Green] is a Michigan guy, he loves his hometown, I don’t think there is anywhere he would like to play more than there outside of the Warriors. The owner is a Michigan State guy, everyone knows, like, they’d like to get together.”
Alas, there look to be some stumbling blocks where a potential partnership between Draymond and the Pistons is concerned.
“The pieces don’t line up,” opined the GM. “He is old for what they are doing. They want to bring in a veteran but is he the guy? Maybe if the owner forces it. But he is way out of their range as far as building with age goes.”
The Lakers May Just Be the Spot
Given the problematic nature of the Pistons pairing, it’s hard to think of them as a likely suitor for Green’s services. So, who might actually fit the bill for the four-time All-Star? Well…
“The Lakers — everyone knows he is hanging on LeBron’s (anatomy) these days,” the GM said. “It is kind of weird. But it is obvious he wants to play there and if they pay him, that is where he is going.”
The Draymond-to-LA chatter has been running rampant in recent weeks, and it was definitely exacerbated when Green left the Warriors bench to chat up his Klutch Sports comrade in the middle of a game against the Lakers last week. And, clearly, the GM isn’t discounting anything there.
“Maybe he would take a lesser price to play there because being in L.A. would help him after his career. That’s the most likely thing if he leaves the Warriors, though, and it seems like the path is laid now for him to leave.”