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The trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have won four NBA titles in the last eight seasons. That makes the Golden State Warriors either an NBA dynasty or the closest thing we’ve seen to one since the 1990s Chicago Bulls. The upcoming 2022-23 NBA season was supposed to be this group’s chance to make history by winning a fifth in nine years. However, the brutal Draymond Green-Jordan Poole fight where Green viciously punched Poole in the face may have changed all that.
After years of letting Green’s antics slide because of his talent and his importance to the team, the 10-year veteran may have finally pushed the Warriors over the edge. In order to win another championship in 2023, here are three reasons the Warriors must do the unthinkable and trade Draymond Green after his Jordan Poole punch.
3. A Draymond Green trade will bring back useful players and save money
The Warriors are currently $39 million over the luxury tax threshold heading into the 2022-23 season. If that number stays put, the franchise will be on the hook for somewhere around $172 million in luxury tax.
Draymond Green has one year and a player option left on his contract at $25.8 million and $27.5 million, respectively.
If the Warriors can shave a little off the cap by trading Green for a player or players who make slightly less, that will reduce the luxury tax bill by a little bit. If they can trade him (either in a straight-up or three-way deal) to a team with salary cap space, the team could reduce that bill by millions.
Additionally, Green still has solid trade value, even as his skills decline with age. A Draymond Green trade could easily bring back younger, talented bigs like John Collins (Hawks) or Myles Turner (Pacers in a three-teamer). Or, it could yield more bench shooting and a useful 3-and-D player who would help the Warriors replace or even exceed Green’s recent numbers. Trade packages like this could include Joe Harris and Royce O’Neale (Nets) or Davis Bertans and Dorian-Finney Smith (Mavericks).
Any of those deals have the potential to make the Warriors better on paper in 2022-23.
2. Jordan Poole is better than Green right now
In a situation like the Draymond Green-Jordan Poole fight, a team has to pick sides. It’s almost certain the organization will side with Poole because, even though he did get physical first with a push, Green took it to the next level with his sucker punch.
The other reason the Warriors would likely search out a Draymond Green trade before a Jordan Poole trade is that the younger player is simply better and more integral to the Warriors' title chances at this point.
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TMZ obtained the video of the altercation between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole at practice https://t.co/55rMnBqAVG pic.twitter.com/k02BGsBo8G
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) October 7, 2022
Green’s numbers have decreased in the last few seasons rather dramatically in some cases. He went from averaging double-digit points per game for most of his career to averaging 7.0-8.0 the last four seasons. His 3-point percentage has also tanked. In his heyday, Green was always over 30% on the year. That number has dropped to between 29.6% and 27.0% in the last four seasons.
Poole was an excellent role player last season and had an incredible playoffs. The 2019 draft pick dropped 30 on multiple occasions and 39.1% from deep and averaging 17.0 points in the postseason.
Green still does so many of the little things that help the Warriors win, especially with rebounding and defense, but in the end, the Warriors will take the 23-year-old on the come-up over the 32-year-old any day.
1. This won’t be the last time Green lets the Warriors down
The biggest reason the Warriors must do the unthinkable and trade Draymond Green after the Jordan Poole punch is because this is simply what Draymond Green does.
If you think Green learned his lesson and will walk the straight and narrow, even after a possible fine and suspension from the team, you are wrong.
Green’s history of being a distraction is well-documented. Whether it was costing the Warriors a title by punching LeBron James in the crotch in the 2016 NBA Finals, openly fighting with Kevin Durant on the Lakers bench in 2018, or any of his numerous flagrant foul or technical foul suspensions, it’s now abundantly clear that Green can’t always control himself.
And now, with his talents declining and his newfound focus on his “new media” podcast, the chances that green won’t become a distraction to the Warriors are basically zero.
How long will the Warriors put up with these antics before they have enough and pull the trigger on a Draymond Green trade? This most recent incident should be the final straw.
In 2022, the Warriors have enough young talent to make up for the loss and can still get a decent return for their star. If the team waits until the next teammate fight or the next on-court incident, it may be too late to salvage anything, and it may be too late for the team to easily get passed it and focus on the season.
That’s why the Warriors need to trade Green now.
