The 2018-19 season has undeniably been one of the most challenging seasons in the NBA for Draymond Green. Along with his well-publicized on and off-court verbal spat with superstar Golden State Warriors teammate Kevin Durant, Green has been playing his worst basketball in years.
While his defensive numbers have remained fairly consistent, his offense has fallen off a cliff. While Green has never been known as a dynamite scorer, he is averaging his lowest points per game (7.3) on some of the worst shooting splits of his career. The three-time all star selection is shooting just 41 percent from the floor and 25 percent from three point range, which allows opposing defenses to sag off of him in order to overcompensate for Durant, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson.
While it is unlikely that the Warriors would ever consider a Green trade with their current roster construction and championship aspirations, Green may still not be long for the Bay area. Green will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2019-20 season and considering his current contract demands, the Warriors may elect to move on.
Green, who famously took a pay cut in 2015 on his current contract, said prior to the season that he plans to do no such thing this time around. If Green manages to either win defensive player of the year or be voted to an All-NBA team in either of the next two years, he would be eligible for a five-year, $226 million supermax contract.
Considering the Warriors have Curry signed to a supermax deal and will likely offer massive deals to Durant and Thompson when the duo reach free agency in July, it is unlikely the Warriors will resign Green in 2020. Considering that, the Warriors may elect to deal Green in order to recoup some value in the short term. With that in mind, here are five potential trades that make sense for both the Warriors and other teams if Golden State decides to trade their all star.
Dallas Mavericks:
Mavericks acquire Green for SG Wesley Matthews, PG Jalen Brunson and a 2022 first round pick.
With the emergence of ROY-favorite Luke Doncic, the Mavericks have a record of 17-19 and are just three games out of the playoffs. With max cap-space opening up this summer, the Mavericks want to have a competitive year and make it to the playoffs in order to attract free agents to come play with Doncic. Acquiring Green would put the Mavericks in a position to make the playoffs and also show future free agents that Dallas is serious about competing. While Green has not played his best this season, it is possible a trade would light a fire under him and bring back some of the competitiveness that powered him to multiple defensive team honors.
The Warriors would be acquiring Wesley Matthews, a capable spot up wing who can guard three positions and who becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer, giving the Warriors more luxury tax relief if they resign Durant and Thompson. In this deal, they also acquire Brunson, a young developing point guard who is under contract for three more seasons at less than $5 million total. In order to sweeten the pot, the Warriors also acquire a 2022 first round pick.
Portland Trail Blazers:
Trail Blazers acquire Green for SF Maurice Harkless, PF Zach Collins and PG Wade Baldwin IV.
In this deal, the Trail Blazers acquire Green in the hopes of finally making the jump into the second round of the playoffs. The Blazers have failed to meet expectations each of the last three years, and would acquire Green in order to strengthen their defense. Green would fit nicely as a playmaking four next to Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and Jusuf Nurkic. Dealing Harkless would mean that Al-Farouq Aminu would start at the three or Evan Turner would come off the bench to start.
The Warriors would acquire Harkless, who like Matthews is a good shooting wing who can guard multiple positions and fits well into the Warriors switch-heavy defensive plan. They also acquire Collins, a potential 3 and D center who could be an-above average starter in a couple years. Baldwin also is included in the deal as another wild card player with some potential.
Minnesota Timberwolves:
Timberwolves acquire Green for PF Dario Saric, PG Jerryd Bayless, PF Anthony Tolliver.
While Saric is nowhere near the defender Green is, he would provide some of the playmaking with improved shooting that Green's departure would take away. Most importantly, he is under contract for next year at less than $4 million before hitting restricted free agency.
Acquiring Saric would be a great get for the Warriors. Bayless and Tolliver would be included as salary filler. Of course, because both Saric and Bayless were included in the Nov. 11 deal between the Sixers and the Wolves that sent Jimmy Butler to the City of Brotherly Love, the teams would have to do this deal after January 11th.
For the Wolves, acquiring Green would allow them to move Taj Gibson to the bench in a backup center role while also improving the front court defense of the Wolves next to the defensively challenged Karl-Anthony Towns. With the Wolves cap sheet also pretty locked up for the future with the contracts of Towns and Andrew Wiggins, acquiring Green and his 2020 bird rights would give Minnesota another option for the future.
Charlotte Hornets:
Hornets acquire Green for PF Marvin Williams and SG Dwayne Bacon.
Marvin Williams is probably best described as a poor-mans Draymond Green. Williams is a perimeter-oriented power forward with the flexibility to defend multiple positions. While Williams is not the same defender or playmaker that Green is, he could fill a similar role in the Warriors offense.
He is also a better shooter than Green, having shot 38% from three in his career. Dwyane Bacon is included in this deal as a talent equalizer, as Williams is a worse player than Green on a contract of the same length. Williams is under contract for next season under a $15 million player option he is likely to exercise.
Green would not move the needle significantly for the Hornets, but his addition would likely secure a playoff spot for Buzz city. On top of that, his presence on the Hornets roster next year could convince Kemba Walker, a free agent in July, to resign in Charlotte.
Indiana Pacers:
Pacers acquire Green for SG Tyreke Evans, C Kyle O'Quinn and a lottery-protected 2021 first round pick.
As the 3rd seed in the Eastern conference, the Indiana Pacers are already having an excellent season. However, with both the Sixers and the Boston Celtics hot on Indiana's tail, the Pacers may need an impact in-season acquisition in order to hold onto home field advantage in the first round. Enter Green: the three time all star would immediately strengthen Indiana's already impressive defense while improving their playmaking. Acquiring Green would allow the Pacers to move Thad Young to the bench in Evans' six man role, putting him in position to terrorize other teams' second units.
For the Warriors, Tyreke Evans would either replace Green in the lineup, moving Durant to power forward full time, or come off the bench with Andre Iguodala or Jonas Jerebko replacing Green. While Evans has not duplicated his excellent 17-18 season in Indiana, the potential is there for him to become that playmaking scorer again. Acquiring O'Quinn, who has played sparingly in Indiana behind Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis, would add a legitimate center to back up DeMarcus Cousins when Cousins returns from Achilles surgery in the coming months.
Ultimately, however, the Warriors are likely not to deal Green and hold onto the former defensive player of the year until his contract expires in 2020. Green means too much to both Warriors fans and the locker room to deal him mid season.
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