From Golden State Warriors On SI · · 3m
The one path to a Draymond Green trade
A Warriors collapse by the deadline is only the first of four things that would have to break right for Draymond to move.
In brief
A Warriors collapse by the deadline is only the first of four things that would have to break right for Draymond to move. A Green trade needs a losing Warriors team, a willing contender, and $27.7 million in matching expiring salary. A buyout is the far likelier exit. Originally reported by Golden State Warriors On SI.
Three expiring contracts
Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green all hit the final year of their deals in 2026-27. That gives Golden State room to blow things up midseason or next summer.
Curry stays, the rest is open
Curry is expected back for 2027-28. Butler and Green are not locks, and their futures ride entirely on how the coming season goes.
An insider raises the alarm
Marcus Thompson of The Athletic told The Kevin O'Connor Show that the Warriors' future is genuinely volatile, with the deadline as the moment of truth.
“I think by the trade deadline, we'll know this is gonna be tough.”
Draymond as the domino
Thompson framed Green's exit as the signal that the whole era is over, not just one roster tweak.
“If Draymond leaves, there's a sense you could feel like they just might start this thing completely over.”
Only if they are sellers
The logic holds up. If Golden State is floundering in February, there is no obvious case for hanging onto a 36-year-old on an expiring deal.
The $27.7 million problem
Green earns $27.7 million, which makes him a pricey one-year rental. The Warriors won't absorb long-term money back, so a buyer needs that much in expiring salary.
Contenders don't have it
Teams good enough to want Green rarely have $27.7 million in expiring salary they'd part with. The players earning that much are the ones they need.
Negative value, no picks
Some argue Green's value is negative now, meaning Golden State would owe a second-rounder to move him. Ask for picks and the Warriors just keep him, then buy him out or let the deal lapse.
Four things must align
Warriors far enough back to sell, a contender that wants Green, $27.7 million in movable expiring money, and Golden State either getting real value or accepting none out of respect.
Detroit is the best fit
John Collins and Isaiah Joe for Green works on paper, since both can be released in the offseason with no cap hit. The Pistons would need to see Green's defense as their title-clinching piece.
A buyout is likelier
Philadelphia would need an absurd five-for-one to match salary, which won't happen. But the Sixers have just enough room under the first apron to sign Green outright if he is bought out.
“That's never gonna happen.”
The key point
A Green trade needs a losing Warriors team, a willing contender, and $27.7 million in matching expiring salary. A buyout is the far likelier exit.
