Draymond Green’s willingness to reshape his game may matter more now than it would have with LeBron James in the building.
During James’ long free-agency wait, Green made clear he would be happy to slide into more of a PJ Tucker-style role - living as a corner 3-point shooter - if his close friend wound up with the Golden State Warriors. That move never happened. James passed on Golden State and made the surprising decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers.
Even without that star-level arrival, the idea behind Green’s message still hangs over the Warriors as they head into a transition year. The team is expected to lean into development, with Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos and prized lottery pick Yaxel Lendeborg among the young players likely to see more of the ball. That means less playmaking duty for Green, even if James had never been part of the conversation.
Steve Kerr has already nudged the same direction. Speaking recently on The Tom Tolbert Show, the head coach said he wants Green shooting more 3-pointers, which puts the Tucker comparison squarely on the table.
The bigger issue is whether Green is ready to live in that lane. It’s one thing to trim back his offensive role for a player like James. It’s another to do it for younger, still-unproven teammates.
And there’s a practical side to this, too. Green has shot 31.1% from 3-point range over the past decade, which means defenses are likely to keep treating him like a player they can help off of until he proves otherwise over a meaningful stretch.
That makes this shift about more than style. Green’s ability to accept the role and hit enough shots in it could go a long way toward determining what comes next for him in Golden State, including whether he stays beyond the February mid-season trade deadline.
His name has already surfaced in trade chatter several times in the weeks after he signed a new contract in free agency, and the Warriors were unwilling to give him the kind of multi-year deal that would have offered more security later in his career.
So the message Green floated during the LeBron wait is no longer just a hypothetical. It has become the assignment. If he can’t make that Tucker role work, there’s a real chance he won’t be a Warrior much longer.
In Other News...
Steph Curry Just Put More Pressure On The Warriors Front Office
Stephen Curry has spent his entire 17-year NBA career in Golden State, turning himself into the face of the franchise and the driving force behind four championships. His latest comments only reinforced what has long felt like the natural endpoint of this partnership: he wants to finish where he started, and he still sees his future tied to the Warriors.
For the front office, though, the next step is not just sentimental. Curry becomes eligible for a two-year extension next summer under the NBAs over-38 rule, and his presence gives the organization little room to treat the situation casually. The Warriors have built around him for years, and now they are heading into a stretch where the business side of keeping him in the Bay may matter as much as anything happening on the court. [Read more 🡒]
Draymond Green Just Helped Warriors Land A Key Defensive Voice
The Warriors added a familiar defensive mind to Steve Kerrs staff this week, and Draymond Green wound up being part of the sales pitch. Frank Vogel, who brings extensive head coaching experience and a championship rsum from his run with the Lakers, confirmed that Green played a major role in drawing him to Golden State. For a team that has long leaned on Greens voice at the center of its identity, getting another respected basketball mind into the building fits the way the franchise has always tried to sharpen itself from within.
Vogels arrival also says something about how much Green still matters beyond the stat sheet. The Warriors know his influence reaches into roster-building conversations, not just defensive possessions, and he even made an effort to recruit LeBron James to the Bay. James went elsewhere, but Greens push helped Golden State secure a veteran coach whose perspective should carry weight in the locker room and on the sideline as the team keeps trying to retool around its core. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga's Next Payday Could Depend On One Familiar Team
Jonathan Kumingas latest move kept his market from going quiet, even if the path that got him there was a little circuitous. After the Warriors turned away sign-and-trade proposals from Sacramento, Kuminga landed with the Timberwolves on a two-year, $12.4 million deal, a short-term bet that leaves his next swing at a bigger payday very much alive.
A lot of that next step may hinge on the same Kings team that wanted him before. Reports say Kuminga is hoping Sacramento comes back next summer with a major offer when he can opt out again, but the Kings attention may be drifting elsewhere as they look at other ways to spend their cap room. For Kuminga, that means the market hes watching most closely could end up being the one that decides how much leverage he really has. [Read more 🡒]