It’s no secret that the Golden State Warriors need to get younger. The Dubs were the second-oldest team in the NBA this past season, with an average age of 27.5. The result was a 37-45 record, and the team was bounced in the Play-In Tournament by the Phoenix Suns.
One veteran player on the Warriors that could be on the move is Draymond Green, who must decide by June 29 on whether or not to opt into his $26.7 million player option.
NBC Sports Bay Area reporter Monte Poole discussed a potential Draymond trade on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs show earlier this week.
“I’ve been asked several times in the past couple weeks by other people around the league, are the Warriors open to trading Draymond? And I would say, ‘they’re not close … in the past they’ve been close to it,” Poole said. “I’m not saying he’s on the table, but what I will say is that—if the right deal comes along, I would think that where the Warriors are now, they would definitely consider making that move.”
Below is a look at potential landing spots for Green this summer.
Draymond Green remains with Warriors
The most likely conclusion is that Draymond returns to the Warriors for a 15th season, but Golden State has already made a couple of moves this off-season that would suggest that they’d be fine with moving on from the veteran.
The Dubs drafted Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg with the 11th overall pick in the NBA Draft on Tuesday night. Lendeborg is essentially a younger version of Green, as he is an elite defender that can guard any position. Lendeborg also owns a giant personality and has a mean streak, much like Draymond.
This week, Golden State also agreed to terms with veteran Al Horford on a new short-term, short money contract. Horford brings many of the same qualities as Green.
It has also been consistently rumored that the Warriors are interested in trading for Pelicans sharpshooter Trey Murphy III. The only way a Murphy to Golden State trade would be possible would be to move the contract of Jimmy Butler or Green.
Draymond Green to Lakers rumors
Draymond to the Lakers has been speculated for years, given his close relationship with LeBron James. If LeBron does re-up with the Lakers, he will surely want some help as he attempts to win one more championship in the twilight of his career.
The Lakers are in need of a top-line defender, and Green still fits that mold despite his advanced basketball age.
One Lakers-Warriors swap that has been suggested is Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht being moved to Golden State in exchange for Draymond.
Draymond Green to Pistons rumors
Green to the Pistons makes a ton of sense for multiple reasons. First, Green is a Michigan native and he said earlier this year that he is a Pistons fan.
“Being from the state of Michigan, I root for the Detroit Pistons,” Green said on his podcast. “I want to see this young Detroit Pistons team do well. I want to see these young guys bring Detroit basketball back to prominence, which they have. I watched them a couple years ago lose 27 straight games. To see where they are today, I’m enjoying watching the process, and I ultimately want to see it end for them in rings.”
In addition, the current Pistons need some of that Bad Boy-era toughness in order to compete in the Eastern Conference with veteran-laden teams like the champion New York Knicks and newly re-shaped Miami Heat.
Green undoubtedly would bring that toughness to Detroit.
Draymond Green to Boston Celtics rumors
Anything and everything seems to be on the table right now for Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst maintains that the Celtics will likely still trade Jaylen Brown this off-season despite missing out on Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Warriors have been mentioned as a potential trade partner for Boston in a Brown swap, simply because of matching financials. Jimmy Butler and Green carry hefty salaries and Golden State would need to clear out some serious cash if they were to target Brown.
Of course, it remains possible that the Celtics could send out Brown in a multi-team deal. If a multi-team deal were to involve the Warriors, Green fits the profile of the type of player that Stevens is looking to target this off-season.
The Celtics, as currently constructed, are not a tough enough team and don’t have enough rugged veterans to overtake the Knicks. Stevens has openly stated that Boston needs to change its style of play this off-season. That likely means moving away from a 3-point chucking style and getting closer to the more traditional style that the Knicks play with.
Boston would obviously need to get back much more than a 36-year-old Green if they do trade Brown, but perhaps Green lands in Boston as a piece of a larger multi-team package.
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