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The Warriors and Grizzlies may have developed a heated rivalry over the past few seasons, but Draymond Green came surprisingly close to joining the opposing side.
The Warriors have reportedly been exploring trade options to add a star alongside Steph Curry, aiming to boost their championship prospects. Back in 2023, they were reportedly close to a sign-and-trade involving Green, a move that could have significantly altered the balance of power in the Western Conference.
Logan Murdock of the Ringer detailed how close Draymond Green was to becoming a member of the Grizzlies in his latest piece about the Warriors' push to make a big move this trade deadline.
“League sources say Draymond Green nearly went to the Grizzlies in the summer of 2023 in a sign-and-trade that would have brought Steven Adams, Dillon Brooks, and Tyus Jones back to Golden State, but the Warriors eventually signed Green to his current four-year, $100 million deal instead,” Murdock stated. “That same summer, Curry phoned Kevin Durant to gauge his interest in a Bay Area reunion, though it ultimately didn’t amount to anything.”
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In a 2024 episode of his podcast The Draymond Green Show, Green confirmed that he was indeed almost headed to Memphis. In the summer of 2023, Green opted out of his contract in 2023 that was set to play him $27.6 million.
“So last year during free agency, I called Klay…and I called Steph [Curry], separate calls…and I called Steve [Kerr]. And I was just telling them, ‘Yo, I’m leaving. I’m going to Memphis.’ And I remember that call with them, saying I was going to leave…And, obviously, we got it figured out. Shout out to the Lacobs and Mike Dunleavy, it was his first free agency. We got it done, but, yeah.”
The Warriors and Green did indeed get it done to the tune of four years and $100 million as the Warriors looked to maximize what ultimately became the last year they had Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green on the same roster.
