The Golden State Warriors haven’t had the easiest season thus far, but they are finally close to clinching a spot in the play-in tournament. That keeps their title defense alive, and they have been aided by longtime starter Draymond Green. Green’s defense and playmaking are key to what the Warriors do, but this may be his final season with Golden State.
Green, himself, has suggested that he might move on after this season, but he could just be playing hardball. After all, he will likely opt out of his player option and seek a long-term deal. The Warriors previously declined to extend him but could still reach an agreement to re-sign him this summer.
That appears unlikely, however, given how much the Warriors owe in player salaries as well as in luxury tax. Therefore, bringing Green back would likely cost way more than he’s worth to the Warriors. That opens up the possibility of another team landing the former four-time All-Star, and Bill Simmons of the Ringer believes it could be the Dallas Mavericks:
Will Dramond Green actually sign with the Dallas Mavericks?
The Mavericks appear likely to miss the playoffs and will be under significant pressure to improve next season. They could start by re-signing Kyrie Irving to a long-term deal and then pursuing Green. While they won’t have cap space to sign him, they could work out a double sign-and-trade involving Christian Wood. Wood is a highly talented player in his mid-twenties but has played a relatively limited role in Dallas thus far.
Signing and trading Wood for Green could be the Mavericks’ best way of recouping value as opposed to letting him leave for nothing. Green’s versatility would be a better fit playing alongside Doncic and Irving, despite him not being as talented as Wood at this point in his career. Meanwhile, for the Warriors, they’d receive a talent upgrade, particularly at backup center, while also getting significantly younger.
Of course, if the Warriors are willing to let Green walk, they may not be willing to sign and trade for Wood since he would need to make a similar salary to Green for the trade to work. Then again, they wouldn’t be able to add Wood any other way and could use this as an opportunity to bolster their roster.
There would definitely be a lot of moving parts to this deal, and it would heavily depend on how the season ends for both the Mavericks and Warriors. The Mavericks may miss the playoffs, which could cause Doncic to ask for a trade and Irving to sign elsewhere. On the other hand, Golden State could go on a run and make it back to the NBA Finals. If they do, they may be hesitant to break up their Big Three, and Green may think twice about leaving.
Ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see whether Simmons is right in his belief that Green will end up in Dallas. If he is, then this could be a very interesting offseason for both Dallas and Golden State.
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Author: Cal Durrett
March 30, 2023 | 11:20 am
