To say that the Golden State Warriors’ season hasn’t started out swimmingly would be an understatement. It could also lead to further NBA rumors surrounding injured three-time champion Draymond Green.
We heard these rumors at times during the offseason. Perhaps, the Warriors look to trade the enigmatic forward while getting younger and finding even more draft assets.
With Golden State clearly struggling following the season-ending injury to star guard Klay Thompson, more NBA rumors are popping up regarding a potential Draymond Green trade.
NBA rumors: Blockbuster trades we could see soon
NBA rumors: Warriors star Draymond Green could be on trade block
“I’ll say this. If Draymond comes back and they don’t fare well, we could see a scenario where Draymond will be put out in the market for trade bait. We could see that, the way this franchise is going,” Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports reported. “And I know a team, oh my goodness, I know a team that would be salivating, if that was the case. I’m not going to mention it.”
Green, 30, has missed each of the Warriors’ first four games this season while nursing a foot injury. He also sat out the preseason slate after contracting COVID-19.
The three-time NBA champion saw his production decline dramatically last season without Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson in the mix and with Stephen Curry having played a mere five games. Green averaged 8.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists on 39% shooting.
With that said, there’s absolutely no reason to believe Draymond Green wouldn’t be a hot commodity leading up to the trade deadline in March. As Haynes points out, at least one unnamed team would be “salivating” over the idea of acquiring the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
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NBA rumors: Who might show interest in a Draymond Green trade?
While Haynes would not name a team, I am confident assuming he’s talking about the Los Angeles Lakers. Just think about Green playing a small-ball five in a frontcourt that includes Anthony Davis and LeBron James. However, there’s very little reason to believe the Warriors would move Green to Los Angeles.
Other contenders potentially in on a Green trade as NBA rumors pick up in this regard include the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, among others.
The question then becomes what would the Warriors require in a potential Draymond Green trade. They have an in-house candidate to replace him in that of impressive second-year forward Eric Paschall. More than anything, the Warriors would want more perimeter help and draft pick assets.
A combination of a lightly-protected 2021 first-round pick and a young core player could be enough for the Warriors to pull the trigger on a Green trade. It’s all dependent on how the next couple months go in Northern California.
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What we do know is that the Warriors have the Minnesota Timberwolves top-three protected first-round pick and their own first-round selection in 2021. All of this could be part of a larger plan to bring on another superstar to team up with Curry, Thompson and NBA Rookie of the Year favorite James Wiseman. Only time well tell on that front.
As for NBA rumors linking Draymond Green to a potential trade, we’re going to hear a lot more about this in the coming weeks and months. Statistics aside, what the former second-round pick brings to the table can’t be quantified. He’s among the best bigs in the game passing the ball and remains an elite defender on the other end of the court.
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