Draymond Green’s opt-out was always going to invite noise, but the latest round of LeBron James chatter has pushed the speculation into stranger territory.
Green walked away from his $27.6 million deal for next season with the idea that it would give the Golden State Warriors room to chase James in free agency. Now the rumor mill is spinning in a different direction, with talk that James’ decision could end up pulling Green away from Golden State instead.
That’s a tough sell for Warriors fans.
From the start, the expectation around Green was that his return to the Warriors was essentially locked in. The only reason this has turned into a conversation at all is James taking his time and Green spending time with him this week. That combination has fueled plenty of speculation, but speculation is all it is.
Yes, Green is an unrestricted free agent, so nothing is technically off the table. But the idea of him leaving Golden State for Cleveland, or for wherever James lands, is hard to picture.
Green’s place with the Warriors is tied to more than just basketball. He has a deep connection with Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr, and that makes the notion of him walking away feel far-fetched.
Would the 36-year-old really leave those two to join James in Cleveland? That’s a difficult outcome to imagine. In some ways, it’s even harder to see than James ending up with Green, Curry and Kerr in Golden State, which remains a possibility.
The money only makes the whole thing messier. Cleveland would have to figure out how to make it work financially, especially once James Harden’s new deal is factored in and the team is already deep into the tax.
Would James and Green both take minimum deals? Would Green ask Golden State for a sign-and-trade?
Those are the kinds of questions that make this scenario feel close to impossible.
Golden State also knows what it would be giving up if Green did leave. The team explored trading him for Giannis Antetokounmpo at February’s mid-season deadline, which shows the Warriors have at least considered life beyond the 4x All-Star. Still, even with Green’s declining form last season, losing him for nothing would be a different matter entirely.
The bigger concern is what it would mean for Curry. Golden State would not want Green’s exit to be the first sign that Curry might start wondering whether the Warriors are still the right place to finish his career. Green still matters because of what he brings alongside the 2x MVP, and breaking that bond now would be a rough way for that partnership to end.
For now, though, the social media buzz doesn’t seem to have much behind it. Green still looks almost certain to return to the Warriors, whether James joins him or not.
In Other News...
Warriors Summer League Suddenly Carries Real Rotation Stakes
The Warriors head into Las Vegas summer league with a roster that looks a little more meaningful than the usual July audition. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is the name to watch after flashing promise in recent games, and he will be joined by veterans Will Richard, LJ Cryer and Malevy Leons, giving Golden State a mix of developmental pieces and players who could factor into the bigger picture sooner rather than later. The team is guaranteed at least five games in the tournament, so there should be enough runway for the staff to sort through roles and see who can handle more than just a quick look.
Lendeborgs usage is especially worth tracking because the Warriors have been testing him in expanded responsibilities, not just as a wing or forward but also with the ball in his hands. That kind of flexibility can matter in a camp where the margins are thin and every rep counts. Golden State also has a few other names worth keeping on the radar in Graham Ike, Lachlan Olbrich and Chance McMillian, and the question in Vegas is less about who can put up a summer line and more about who can survive the next step when the games start to resemble real NBA evaluation. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Suddenly Have A Veteran Shooter Decision Fans Will Debate
Klay Thompsons name keeps surfacing in conversations about what comes next for Detroit, and it is easy to see why the idea has traction. The Pistons have been moving carefully through the offseason, with plenty of room under the luxury-tax line and a few notable additions already on the board, including Isaiah Joe, as they continue sorting out what kind of veteran help best fits their young core.
Thompson still brings the kind of shooting reputation that can change how a roster looks on paper, but any real fit would come with the usual questions about how much he has left and what his game would look like when the games tighten up. For a team trying to balance development with a more competitive timeline, that is the kind of debate that can linger well beyond the first wave of summer moves. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Fans May Need To Rethink Dunleavys Draft Reputation
Mike Dunleavy Jr.s draft record is starting to look a little more complicated than the early buzz suggested. In three straight drafts, the Warriors general manager used picks on Trayce Jackson-Davis, Quinten Post and Will Richard, giving Golden State a run of young talent that briefly seemed like a useful pipeline for a team trying to balance contention with development.
But the longer view has been less tidy. Jackson-Davis and Post both made early contributions as rotation pieces before moving on, leaving Richard as the lone holdover from that three-player stretch and the only one still under a four-year rookie contract with the Warriors. For a front office that has been trying to thread the needle between short-term fixes and long-term value, the question now is whether those draft hits were the start of something sustainable or just a brief snapshot before the roster turned over again. [Read more 🡒]