Getty Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green reacts to a call during a bout with the Miami Heat.
Bad starts beget a grumbling fan base and trade chatter and, make no mistake, the Golden State Warriors are right in the thick of it. Entering Thursday’s road bout with the Orlando Magic, the Dubs were just 3-5 on the year with major problems on both sides of the ball.
The team also ranked a middling 17th league-wide in offensive efficiency (scoring 111.5 points per 100 possessions) and 24th on the defensive end (with a D-rating of 115.6). Additionally, the bench has been a hot mess with youngsters Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and others struggling to be plusses on the court.
As if that weren’t enough, the specter of Draymond Green’s scuffle with Jordan Poole during a Warriors practice last month has continued to loom over the Bay. Some have even wondered whether the incident may be the actual origin point for the team’s issues.
With that being the case, there has been a thought out there that Golden State could actually consider moving on from the four-time All-Star and former DPOY. However, one league insider doubts that such a move is in the cards.
Lowe Sounds Off on Draymond’s Immediate Future With the Dubs
ESPN‘s Zach Lowe went deep on Draymond’s situation with the Warriors in his latest Insider piece on Thursday. The big question he sought to answer — whether Green is truly a superstar on his own or if he’s benefiting from the system he’s in and the teammates he’s playing with.
Regardless of which is more true, this much is certain (as written by Lowe): “Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Green were destined to win together — their skills so perfectly complementary, blurring into a cyclone… There is something almost mystical about their connection. It is the type of bond that can develop only over thousands of shared high-stakes moments. It is sports nirvana.”
In truth, we may never know what Green is capable of on his own. Even if he does find his way to another team at some point, he’s in his mid-30s now and well past his athletic prime. So, comparing his performance from one team to the next would be a dicey proposition.
And, according to Lowe, Green may not be going anywhere, in spite of everything. At least, not anytime soon.
Reported the longtime league analyst: “The Warriors have not engaged in any trade talks centered on Green, and don’t plan to as of now.”
Green could always opt out of the final year of his contract, but it’s hard to imagine him securing something close to the $27.6 million the Warriors would owe him in 2023-24 in the event that he inked a new deal with a different team.
Draymond Is Still Doing Draymond Things
Despite everything that’s going on with himself and the Warriors’ poor start, Green’s performance has largely been on-par with what would have been expected from him before all the drama. After eight games played, Green was posting averages of 9.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.1 steals per outing.
Moreover, he has had a measurable positive impact for the Warriors. As of this writing, his net rating of 4.9 ranks second on the Warriors and is just one of five positive marks team-wide.