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Moving on from franchise legends/icons is never easy, regardless of the circumstances.
Why? Because whenever an individual is able to stay with an organization for an extended period and contribute to its success in his own unique ways, saying goodbye can make the nostalgic moments hit harder than expected.
Still, the NBA is business, meaning franchises must make in-season and/or offseason moves that’ll help them progress. In the Golden State Warriors’ case, NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin believes that the seven-time NBA champions should send their 36-year-old Defensive Player of the Year (2017) and four-time All-Star this offseason.
“(Draymond) Green isn’t leaving the Warriors, is he,” Helin wrote Wednesday. “Green has a $27.7 million player option for next season, and the expectation is he opts out and re-signs for two years at a slightly lower number (two years, $40 million?). Expect that deal to get done. However, if Green picks up that option, then the team may trade him.”
The Warriors would likely only trade Green if they were 100% confident the return would be worth it. In other words, swapping Green for a superstar who could help accelerate the Dubs’ win-now process is the scenario that would make the most sense.
Green’s play has declined recently, as he’s no longer the menacing defender and electric point forward he was at the height of his career. Still, there’s no question that he’s among the most valuable contributors in Warriors history, and if the Dubs are unable to strike gold on the trade market, Green should expect to remain put in the Bay.
Green averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in 68 games with the Warriors this season, shooting 41.8% from the field and 32.6% from three-point land.
The Michigan State product should be in for an intriguing offseason.
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