Getty Draymond Green and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Draymond Green just helped the Golden State Warriors to a massive Game 2 blowout win against the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a force defensively on Anthony Davis, plus, he filled the stat sheet. Green almost logged a triple-double on Thursday with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Though he continues to make an impact for the Warriors, he could be playing his last few games in The Bay. Green’s contract contains a player option, allowing him to opt out and become a free agent this summer.
In a recent article for “Bleacher Report,” Eric Pincus listed several teams that could look to bring in the 33-year-old forward this summer, should he decide to test the market.
“Most teams with spending power have younger rosters, like the San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz,” Pincus wrote. “Some have playoff aspirations, and Green is well-respected for what he does to help the Warriors win. But he’s 33 and a polarizing player who isn’t for everyone, especially as a long-term investment.”
Pincus ultimately predicted that Green would just pick up his player option and stick around this summer.
But, some of the teams that were listed could wind up being intriguing destinations for the former Defensive Player of the Year.
Rockets Could Poach Draymond Green from Warriors
Of all of the teams mentioned by Pincus, Houston might be the most realistic landing spot for Green if he decides to leave the Warriors. The Rockets recently hired former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, as they hope to usher in a more successful era of basketball.
Last month, general manager Rafael Stone told ESPN’s Andrew Lopez that he believes that Houston is ready to move onto the next stage of their rebuild.
“I think we’re kind of coming to the end of the first stage of it,” Stone said. “When my group took over, we didn’t have draft picks and we didn’t have cap space. We had a team that was kind of singularly built. It was built to play a single style of play based around kind of a generational talent. And so we kind of felt like we had the right set that starting at the bottom floor.”
Stone later added that he’s hoping to bring in some veteran players, perhaps like Green, this summer.
“We’re definitely gonna bring in some veteran players this offseason,” Stone revealed. “But that’s largely because if you go draft a guy, they’re not gonna be ready to play in the NBA with a one in a million exception. So we want to bring in people who help our guys and we know what we’re getting. And, by definition, that’s a veteran.”
Rockets Could Pair Warriors’ Draymond Green with Star via Trade: Report
To add more fuel to the fire, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported last week that the Rockets are looking to trade for a star.
Fischer mentioned that Houston would be open to including former No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green in a blockbuster trade.
“The Rockets, sources said, also addressed the idea of including second-year guard Jalen Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, as part of a package for acquiring established star talent,” he wrote.
Potential targets include Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden and Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton. Both of the aforementioned moves would be on the “win-now” track for Houston. Bringing in Golden State’s No. 23 as a free agent could also be part of that path.