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In the wake of the practice incident in which Warriors star Draymond Green landed a punch on teammate Jordan Poole, one of the persistent themes around the NBA has been not only how this could affect Golden State’s upcoming season as it looks to defend its championship, but also how it could affect Green’s future with the team.
No doubt, Green has been an integral part of the Warriors’ development into a dynasty since he arrived in the NBA as a second-round pick in 2012. His versatility on both ends of the floor has been critical to establishing the Warriors as one of the best defensive teams in the league and his passing from the high post has helped shooters like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson thrive.
But Green is 32 and potentially in the final year of his contract, with a player option for next season. With the Warriors facing a handful of hefty financial decisions in the coming years, there’s some question about how long he will stay with the Warriors and whether Golden State should seek to trade him now while it can.
To be sure, Green is not being shopped on the market here in October.
“He’s a tough guy to trade because you don’t know what he will be asking for contract-wise, and he has a skill set that fits what they do but not what everyone around the league does,” one Western Conference executive said. “They’re not out there pushing to move him right now. Never say never, but it would be pretty shocking if they changed course on that.”
It is not easy to trade away a player who is as identifiable with the Warriors as Green has become.
“It would send a tough message to Steph and Klay,” the exec said. “To an extent, you want to keep those guys happy even if Draymond can be a headache for you, and they would not be happy about trading him.”
What Would Draymond Green’s Trade Value Be?
But then, what if the Warriors did want to trade Green? As the West executive pointed out, it is not an easy task. Green is a unique player, an All-Star who averaged just 7.5 points last season, but added 7.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists. Most coaches would be able to find a use for him, but it would be hard to justify giving up the kind of major assets the Warriors would want in return for a guy who doesn’t score.
“Draymond can be Draymond when he is playing with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Poole, guys who can score,” one Eastern Conference executive told Heavy Sports. “But put him on Portland or even a team like Memphis or New Orleans and the impact is going to be different. He makes the Warriors a championship team, but that is not going to be the case for a lot of other teams. Now, you factor in this latest incident and I’d think they would have trouble finding a market.”
One team that has long had an interest (as we have previously reported) in Green, the Detroit Pistons, are a good example. Green has appeal as a Flint, Michigan, native who went to Michigan State, alma mater of team owner Tom Gores. But the Pistons would not have much incentive to trade for Green when they could sign him in free agency next summer. And besides, would such a move make sense?
“Detroit is rebuilding,” the East executive said. “Draymond will be 33 next summer. You would like to bring him in as a culture guy, a guy who is going to toughen you up but the (Poole) video, man, you have to ask, how much tough culture is too much? And do you want to go out and get a guy who is on the downside of his career like that? If you want to trade for a guy like him, you have to make sure you get it right.”
Draymond Green, Future Laker?
Elsewhere, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has drummed up the idea of Green wanting to play for the Lakers if he does leave Golden State. That’s something we’ve also reported before, especially with the ties that Green has to Klutch Sports, the agency that represents LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers could have a swath of cap space next summer, but around the league, the feeling is that they’re eager to maintain that space to acquire a younger star, one whose age matches up more closely with that of Davis, who is 29. It is almost impossible for the Lakers to trade for Green, and they might not be all that interested in signing him, either.
“When they traded for Davis (in 2019) they wanted him to be their guy for the future,” the West exec said. “He has had the injuries, though. They’re going to get one real shot at that cap space and they’re going to want someone who lines up with AD in terms of age. If they can’t get the right fit, then, yeah maybe you look at a short-term deal with Draymond. But that us not going to be their preference. They’re going to be looking at bringing in someone younger if it is possible.”
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