For years, Draymond Green has been considered a treasured member of the Warriors’ infamous, star-studded core. Thanks to his tenacious defense, and his role as the emotional leader of the team, Draymond has made himself irreplaceable in the Warriors’ eyes and, for a while, it was tough to imagine a scenario where they’d ever trade the 4X All-Star.
But after an incident with Jordan Poole went viral this month, Green finds himself on the hot seat with both his own teammates and the Warriors’ front office. But what does it mean for his future with the franchise?
Stephen A. Smith Confirms That Draymond Is Likely Headed To The Lakers Next Summer
According to Stephen A. Smith, Green has made peace with his upcoming expiration date in Golden State and has already shifted his mind to the sunny beaches of Southern California.
(via ESPN’s First Take):
“I can tell you right now, [Andrew] Wiggins and Poole are a priority,” Smith said. “I can tell you right now that Draymond Green is expecting this to be his last year in Golden State. Now, he wanna be a Laker. He ain’t gonna tell anybody that, but don’t think I don’t know. He’d prefer to be a Laker if he gotta leave Golden State. But he looking for a payday. He gonna get $25 million this year. He got a player option for $24 million next year. The Warriors are probably hoping he don’t opt in because they’d have to pay him on top of the cats that they know that they gotta pay in Poole and Wiggins.”
After a decade of prosperity with Golden State, nobody thought things would end like this. But, despite efforts to resolve the issue, Draymond’s attack on Poole caused a serious emotional ‘wound’ for the dynasty that may never fully heal.
In Los Angeles, Dray could still enjoy the luxuries of living on the West coast while playing and competing alongside LeBron James — a man and player whom he has long admired.
Depending on how this season goes for Draymond and Golden State, this very well could be the end of the core that started it all. Either way, this is the closest to a breakup the Warriors dynasty has ever gotten and they might not make it through whole this time.
