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Draymond Green has never played for an NBA team outside of the Golden State Warriors, but there are apparently some squads around the league hoping that will change after he declined his $27.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season.
While Steve Bulpett of Heavy reported most general managers believe Green will remain with the Warriors, one suggested there will be no shortage of recruiting.
“But he’s going to have a lot of people in his ear recruiting him,” the GM said. “There’s a lot of teams that think Draymond would put them over the top. The problem is those teams don’t have the room to just sign him as a free agent. That means there’d have to be a sign-and-trade, and unless Golden State would be getting something amazing in return, do they really want to let him go somewhere else?”
Even that quote makes it seem like the Michigan State product isn’t going anywhere.
And that is anything but a surprise, as Green has been part of the Warriors’ core during four championship runs. While Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant generated plenty of headlines during those title pursuits, the team surely would not have won so many rings without the forward.
His ability to play center in small-ball lineups, battle against players much bigger than him and anchor the defense all while helping create open looks for Curry and others has always been instrumental in the Warriors’ attack.
There is also an element of risk for other teams when it comes to Green because that chemistry with Curry in particular wouldn’t come with him to a new destination.
It is hard to envision Green, who is 33 years old, being as valuable elsewhere as he is in Golden State with a seemingly sixth-sense ability to play off of Curry and both create and find openings for the offense to take advantage of in its natural flow.
Yet he is someone with plenty of playoff experience who could be a veteran leader for a team that is a piece away from realistically competing for a championship.
If one of those teams can create enough cap space to bring him into the fold and convince him to do so, it could change the balance of power in a close playoff race.
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