As Draymond Green enters the twilight of his NBA career, the Golden State Warriors are - understandably - eyeing the future. For over a decade, Green has been the heartbeat of the Warriors’ defense, the vocal leader, the connective tissue tying together their championship runs. But even dynasties evolve, and the question looming in the Bay has become: who’s next?
Enter Moses Moody.
According to Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, the answer might already be on the roster. Paul, who represents both Green and Moody, recently made headlines when he told Moody he should be aiming to “push Draymond out.” It raised some eyebrows - after all, it’s not every day you hear an agent suggest one client should replace another.
But context matters, and so does the relationship. Green wasn’t blindsided. In fact, he addressed the comments head-on during the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show, making it clear that there’s no bad blood.
“The comments are no shocker to me,” Green said. “Rich and I talked. He told me that years ago he was saying that to Moses.”
Green wasn’t interpreting Paul’s words as a call for Moody to mimic his game or literally take his job. Instead, it was about value - becoming so impactful and versatile that a team simply can’t afford not to play you. And in a league driven by salary caps and long-term planning, that kind of emergence often means the veteran makes way for the rising star.
Paul elaborated on that vision during an appearance on the Game Over podcast, highlighting Moody’s strengths - catch-and-shoot ability, size, defensive chops - while pointing out the areas that could take his game to the next level.
“In my opinion, we have to be better at being able to rebound, push, go into dribble-handoff, read,” Paul said. “Because if you can do that with what you’re already doing, now it’s not even about the Warriors.
You know what it’s about? I can play on any roster in the NBA.”
That’s the kind of growth trajectory that turns role players into rotation locks - or even something more. Moody has already earned a bigger role this season, stepping into the starting lineup and showing flashes of the two-way potential the Warriors hoped for when they drafted him.
But Green’s perspective adds a layer of realism to the conversation. This isn’t new. The Warriors have been trying to find “the next Draymond” for years.
“For many, many, many years, I felt like the Warriors were trying to push me out,” Green said. “And not that they were saying, ‘Hey, Draymond, we're pushing you out.
You need to leave.’ No, I don't mean it that way.
What I mean is, they drafted Eric Paschall. They drafted Kevon Looney.
They drafted Jordan Bell. They drafted really all of these guys to take my spot."
Some of those names - like Paschall and Bell - didn’t stick. Others, like Looney, carved out their own niche. But none fully replaced Green, whose unique combination of defensive IQ, playmaking, and leadership is hard to replicate.
Still, Green understands the business. He’s not bitter - he’s realistic.
“Jordan Bell had a good run, EP had a good run, but ultimately my spot was never taken,” he said. “But that’s what general managers are doing.
They are drafting guys to take on the spot of the guys who’s making the big money so they can move off them, reset the cap. That’s just the job, right?
And so I don’t make anything of that, but I definitely understood it.”
That’s the kind of self-awareness that comes with experience - and championship rings.
For Moody, the path forward is clear. The Warriors believe in his talent.
His agent sees a ceiling that stretches far beyond a 3-and-D role. And his veteran teammate?
He’s not standing in the way - he’s watching, and maybe even rooting for him to rise.
If Moody can continue to expand his game - particularly as a secondary playmaker and rebounder - he won’t just be a potential successor to Draymond. He’ll be a player every team in the league would want.