Getty LeBron James hugging Draymond Green.
The Los Angeles Lakers have stayed quiet on the trade market in recent weeks and decided to hold onto their 2023 first-round draft pick. With stars like Bradley Beal and Chris Paul already on the move, the team’s options are becoming limited. However, there are some big names available in free agency.
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has been linked to the Lakers in the past due to his close relationship with LeBron James. He declined the $27.5 million option on June 19 that he had from the $99.66 million contract the Warriors previously gave him and will now be set to test free agency. He has spent his entire 11-year career with Golden State and has won four championships with the team. Despite that, a fresh start could be on the table. Former NBA big man and LeBron teammate Kendrick Perkins believes that Green would make a lot of sense in Los Angeles.
“With [Nikola] Jokic being in the Western Conference, Jokic being the best player in the league right now, you definitely need a defensive duo like Draymond and [Anthony Davis],” Perkins said on the June 20 episode of ESPN’s “Get Up.” “Can you imagine those two guys on the floor together? … [Davis] needs a guy that will bring that tenacity.”
.@KendrickPerkins wants to see Draymond play with AD and LeBron in LA 👀
How Much Is Draymond Green Looking to Get Paid?
Draymond Green is 33 now but continues to play at a high level. He was named NBA All-Defensive Second Team for his work last season. He’s not at a point in his career where he’ll be playing at a discount. The fact that he declined a guaranteed $27.5 million from the Warriors shows that he’s confident he could get a bigger contract. However, it may be more about years than the specific dollar figure.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, many around the NBA believe Green is looking for a three-year contract. The insider also reported that the big man is still likely to remain with the Warriors.
“I continue to hear nothing but strong confidence emanating from the Bay Area that an agreement on a multi-year for Green to stay right where he’s always been is forthcoming. (A three-year deal, league sources say, is a popular current projection for the 33-year-old),” Stein wrote on his Substack on June 25.
Golden State Warriors Eager to Keep Draymond Green
The Warriors made a show of good faith to Draymond Green when they traded guard Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards. There was tension between the two following Green punching the guard in the face during an October 7, 2022, practice. According to a May 13 report from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the tension never went away throughout the season. By trading Poole, the Warriors showed Green that they favor him.
ESPN’s Marc J. Spears revealed in a June 19 tweet that new Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. “really” wants to bring Green back.
“We really want Draymond back,” new Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy, Jr., said. MDJ says he “feels confident we can navigate it” and says Warriors ownership has the finances to get it done.
If the Warriors don’t make a deal happen, the Lakers make sense due to his ties to LeBron. Green and Anthony Davis would form one of the best defensive duos in the NBA. However, it’s looking like a long shot that he’ll leave Golden State this offseason.