The plan was for the Golden State Warriors to run it back in 2022-23 with last year’s championship team, while the Warriors core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green looked for their fifth title in nine years. However, that plan may have suddenly changed after the vicious Draymond Green-Jordan Poole fight. The two players went at it in practice, with Green brutally punching Poole in the face. It is a horrific start to the franchise’s title defense and could lead to the Warriors choosing the nuclear option of trading Green to restore harmony to the squad. If that does happen, here are the five best Draymond Green trade destinations.
5.Los Angeles Lakers
The LA Lakers are nearly out of trade chips and are still looking for a place to send out-of-favor former superstar Russell Westbrook. A straight-up (ish) Westbrook for Draymond Green trade doesn’t make sense for the Warriors, but the Czar of the Trade Machine, Bill Simmons, took to Twitter and quickly came up with a three-team deal that actually might work for all teams involved.
The trade would involve sending Westbrook to the Indiana Pacers, along with the Lakers’ 2027 and 2029 first-round picks. The Warriors would get big man Myles Turner from the Pacers, and the Lakers would take on Green and the Pacers’ Buddy Hield.
The deal would help the Pacers tank for Victor Wembanyama, give the Lakers Green, who would add toughness and playmaking to the team, and bring the Warriors an athletic rim protector while saving them millions in luxury tax.
4.Brooklyn Nets
In this deal, the Brooklyn Nets would send Joe Harris and Royce O’Neale to the Warriors for Draymond Green. The move would reunite Green and Kevin Durant — who’ve also infamously fought in practice before — and give the Warriors even more shooting (Harris) and an excellent 3-and-D player (O’Neale).
While Green and Durant haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, each knows that the other is a championship-level player. Green would add defense and offensive punch to the Nets without taking the ball out of Durant and Kyrie Irving’s hands. It might be a little awkward, but both Durant and Green would likely swallow their pride and get on the same page in order to win another championship, and both stick it to the Warriors.
3.Detroit Pistons
Most of the teams on this Draymond Green trade destinations list are franchises that are on the cusp of winning an NBA title where a Draymond Green trade could help get them over the hump. This deal with the Detroit Pistons is about Green becoming a mentor and teaching an incredibly young team how to win.
With this trade, the Pistons would send veterans Bojan Bogdanovic and Nerlens Noel to the Warriors in exchange for Green. Maybe Detroit would even send a heavily-protected first-round pick to the Bay Area as well.
The veteran shooting and rim protection that Bogdanovic and Noel bring would be welcome bench pieces on the warriors and, together, could replicate a lot of what Green does for Golden State. On the other side, Green knows what it takes for a young team of talented pieces to become winners, and he can impart that on the baby Pistons.
The Pistons are loaded with young talent. Green could be the player who mentors Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Hamidou Diallo, Saddiq Bey, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Livers, and Isaiah Stewart. If Draymond can teach this group what it takes to win, the Pistons could be a playoff team as soon as this season.
2.Atlanta Hawks
John Collins has never been a perfect fit with Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. Since the two have paired up in Atlanta, Collins has never been happy with the Young-centric Hawks offense.
Collins on the Warriors would give Steph Curry and Klay Thompson an excellent pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop big, the likes of which they haven’t truly had before. Plus, Collins might be happier to acquiesce offensive opportunities to those two legends more so than he was with his peer, Young.
Draymond Green on the Hawks brings the toughness and experience that he brings to all teams, plus will allow Atlanta to go as Trae Young-heavy as they want on offense. The Hawks have also seemingly reached their playoff ceiling with their current group, and Green will bring much-needed veteran motivation to the group.
1. Dallas Mavericks
The best destination for the volatile Warriors star after the Draymond Green-Jordan Poole bust-up is with the Dallas Mavericks.
The trade could include anyone but Luka Doncic for Green, but the trade that makes the most sense would be Davis Bertans and Dorian-Finney Smith heading to the West Coast with a few picks from Dallas and Green coming to the Lone Star State.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but the Warriors would get bench shooting from Bertans and a top-notch 3-and-D wing in Finney-Smith. The Mavericks would get an enforcer to protect Luka Doncic and championship experience.
We all know that scoring-wise, Doncic can win a playoff series basically by himself. It’s players who do the complementary little things that the Mavs are missing. After the Draymond Green-Jordan Poole fight, if the four-time champ is expendable for Golden State, becoming Doncic’s right-hand man would be perfect for him.
