At this point in the season, it seems like Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors have moved past the former Defensive Player of the Year's infamous knockout punch on teammate Jordan Poole during the summer. However, it seems that the issue has left a lasting mark on Green's tenure with the Dubs.
According to an unnamed Western Conference executive, the odds of Dray leaving the Warriors at the end of this season are considerably high:
“Pretty strong,” the executive told Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. “If they win a championship again this year, there will be pressure to keep things together, but the stuff with the punch [on Jordan Poole] in the preseason, that probably put the nail in it. There was already a good chance he would go just because his production is not what it was and he is getting older [32]. It would be hard to justify paying him $20-something-million a year.”
Right now, Green has two more years remaining on his current deal. However, he has a player option for next season, which means that he could walk away from the Dubs this summer if he so chooses.
According to the anonymous source, teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Detroit Pistons could emerge as a potential landing spot for the four-time All-Star:
“Now, there is the question of, ‘okay, who does pay Draymond if he leaves?’ Will it be a team like the Lakers, and he has so many ties with Klutch and LeBron? Or would the Pistons bring him home? There is a small number of teams that would want him, and if does not get a good offer from them, maybe he goes back to the Warriors on a cheaper, short-term deal,” said the exec.
Green's current deal stipulates that he's going to pocket $27.6 million next season. The Warriors might not be able and/or willing to pay him this amount of money, which is why it's possible that they negotiate a new short-term contract on a lower salary. Then again, the Dubs won't have any other choice if Green decided to opt into his player option.
Finally, the unnamed executive pointed out that at this point, the Warriors might not be inclined to keep Green for the long haul. It's not that they want to get rid of him, but they also won't mind if he takes his talents elsewhere.
“Yeah, there has never been a sense that they were ready to move on from Draymond, but that has changed in the last couple of months,” said the executive. “They gave out the extensions [to Poole and Wiggins], and that was a pretty clear sign like, OK, we’re not all in on Draymond from here out.”
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