Draymond Green is considered a legend and a key piece of the Golden State Warriors dynasty, but he revealed that he almost left the team to join one of its Western Conference rivals.
According to Green, he was bracing for being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this decade, when they were at the height of their rivalry.
“I called the Warriors and said ‘Yo I’m gonna go to the Grizzlies, can y’all do all y’all can do to work that sign-and-trade?’,” Green said in his podcast. “And to the Warriors credit, they went into negotiations with the Grizzlies… And they moved the goalposts a bit, but once they moved the goalposts, it also was clear to me like ‘they really want me here’.”
Draymond Green Shared The Story Of His Planned Exit From The Warriors
Green shared that the Memphis Grizzlies offered him a deal paying roughly $10 million more per year than what the Warriors were initially offering.
Realizing the massive gap, Green called Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Steve Kerr, then asked the Golden State front office to facilitate a sign-and-trade to Memphis.
Golden State engaged in sign-and-trade talks with the Grizzlies, but ultimately adjusted its stance on Memphis during negotiations, signaling to Green how much they valued him.
Realizing the Warriors truly wanted him to stay, Green backed off the move and re-signed in Golden State on a four-year, $100 million contract rather than heading to Memphis, where he could have played alongside former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, and Ja Morant.
The aforementioned three former Grizzlies are no longer playing in Memphis.
This season, Green, a four-time NBA champion, remains with the Warriors after signing a one-year, $27.7 million deal to continue his long-standing tenure with the team.
Draymond Green Has Always Put The Warriors First
Draymond Green wants to retire with the Warriors, but he admits that he does not want to stay with the franchise for what he did nearly a decade ago.
He wants to be an effective and impactful player for the team, if he is to stay with the Warriors throughout his NBA career.
“I hope I’ve done enough to still be here. Because at the end of the day, if I ain’t done enough, I don’t want to be here,” Green said during the end of the Warriors’ 2025-2026 NBA campaign.
“I don’t ever want [the Warriors] to just keep me around because of what I’ve done before. … Any by the way, that’s not just playing, right? That’s leadership, that’s helping bring the young guys along, that’s helping to move the organization forward. So, hopefully I’ve done enough to still be here. But if not, we’ll see what it looks like. It’s been a hell of a run.”
Green also stated that he plans to keep playing because he still loves the game and believes he can perform at a high level. He noted that as long as his body feels good and he can compete, he wants to keep going.
Green has played 14 seasons with the Warriors, spanning from the 2012-2013 season through the 2025-2026 season.
He has built a reputation as one of the best defenders in the league to complement with the Warriors’ offensive engine led by Steph Curry.
Draymond Green Reveals He Almost Got Traded to Warriors West Rival