Speculation over Draymond Green's future at the Golden State Warriors is once again surfacing after The Athletic's Marcus Thompson, not for the first time this offseason, suggested the veteran forward could be on the trade block come February's mid-season deadline.
If Green's legendary career at the Warriors does come to an end in the next six months, we can look back at his failed recruitment of LeBron James this offseason as a pivotal moment in missing an opportunity to solidify the end of his career.
Golden State won't trade Green because his pitch to James fell on deaf ears, but it may cost him his career at the franchise anyway given his contract situation and the general direction of the team changed significantly as a result of James' decision to head to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Draymond Green's LeBron James miss may cost him Warriors career
Green was one of the biggest factors in James' free agency process, having spent considerable time with the superstar forward leading up to his shock move to the 76ers in late July. Much of the optimism around the Warriors' chances of landing James stemmed from Green opting out of his contract just before free agency, leading to speculation it was done in conjunction with the four-time MVP and their shared agent Rich Paul.
If Golden State wound up signing James, Green was going to be one of the biggest reasons. That would have made it highly unlikely that a Stephen Curry and James-led team would turn around and trade Green half a season into their first year as a trio.
Green would have also got more security from a contract standpoint. The 36-year-old would have likely signed a multi-year deal at a lower annual salary if James was on his way, only to wind up signing the one-year, $27.7 million contract he initially opted out of.
The fact the Warrriors were only willing to give Green a multi-year contract on the proviso of James signing tells you everything you need to know about how they view him, and why there's already so much speculation around his future.
Warriors are ready to move on from Draymond Green
The good news for Green is that he's not trade eligible until December, leaving time to prove his worth on an off the floor. Things are changing at the franchise though and Green's ability to adapt could dictate whether he's part of the future beyond the February deadline or not.
Even if the Warriors don't actually move on from Green in a trade, there's a good chance they move on from him as a major part of their rotation. Perhaps he's ushered back into a bench role, and if not his minutes could still be limited to less than 25 per game as Golden State turn towards younger forward options like Yaxel Lendeborg and Gui Santos.
This already appears like a transition year for Green and the Warriors, proving one that's necessary but one that may have been delayed by 12-24 months if they'd managed to land James in free agency.
Add us as a preferred source on Google