Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green has a murky future ahead of him.
While the 32-year-old has been with the Warriors for his entire NBA career, he’ll have the ability to become a free agent following the 2022-23 season. He has a player option for the 2023-24 campaign.
Green has had a rough few weeks, as a video went viral of him punching teammate Jordan Poole at practice earlier this month. Moreover, Poole and Andrew Wiggins both received major contract extensions from the Warriors before the 2022-23 season started, and Green did not.
As a result of those factors, Green could seemingly find himself wearing a different uniform at some point down the road.
According to a recent report from NBA insider Zach Lowe, the Warriors aren’t going to trade Green this season.
One NBA executive seems to agree that a trade is unlikely, but it sounds like the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James like the four-time All-Star.
“Things would have to get pretty bad for the Warriors before they would dump Draymond,” the executive told Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. “But, you don’t know, because you don’t know the dynamics going on in that locker room. If they have had it with him – and by that, I mean Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson] – then, OK, you could see a trade coming up. They know how important he is, though. The Lakers don’t have anything real they can give back to the Warriors in any kind of trade.
“You’d have to build it around, what, Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker? Or Kendrick Nunn? So, the only thing the Lakers could offer Golden State that might be worth it is the two picks they have – send out all those guys plus the picks in 2027 and 2029. They (Los Angeles) like Draymond, LeBron wants Draymond, and Draymond has been following LeBron around like a puppy dog these last couple of years. But I can’t see them giving up those two picks for him, not at his age and not with him being a free agent next summer anyway.”
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith reported earlier this month that Green is expecting the 2022-23 season to be his last with the Warriors and wants to join the Lakers.
The four-time NBA champion would certainly be a major addition for L.A. Green is a great playmaker and defender, and he has been crucial to Golden State’s success over the past decade or so.
It’s worth noting, however, that some fans feel Green wouldn’t be the same player if he were to leave Golden State’s system. It’s an interesting concern, and it’s a theory that won’t get an answer unless he does join a different team before he retires.
Last season, Green averaged 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from beyond the arc.
In his lone game so far this season, he dropped four points, five rebounds and five assists. The performance came against the Lakers.
For now, the Lakers are surely hoping to see their current roster figure things out and become a solid squad. Los Angeles is 0-2 on the young season after losing games to the Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers.
