As we inch closer to LeBron James’ free agency decision, the Warriors are internally still hopeful to land his services. Despite rumors suggesting he prefers going to the Eastern Conference this summer.
Draymond Green’s future also seems inextricably linked to LeBron James’ decision, as the 36-year-old veteran did not pick up his $27.7 million player option this summer to give the front office some flexibility in making new additions to the roster.
The four-time NBA champion went on social media last night and added more fuel to the fire in terms of making a compelling case for becoming championship contenders. He responded to a fan’s question about who would run the Warriors’ offense if LeBron James joins them in free agency.
“Bron. I’d become P.J. Tucker, the greatest corner three-point shooter ever,” wrote Green on Threads.
Draymond Green often plays the secondary ball-handler and the primary playmaker behind Stephen Curry. With LeBron James’ potential addition to the Warriors, the expectations would change for both Green and Curry.
While Curry can shift to being the secondary ball-handler behind James, Green hopes that in this hypothetical scenario, the Warriors’ coaching staff will allow him to play the role that P.J. Tucker did in the prime of his career.
P.J. Tucker, the former NBA champion, was a 36.6% shooter from three-point range before he announced his retirement at the end of the 2024-25 season. He is considered to be one of, if not the best, three-point shooters from the corner spot in NBA history.
Therefore, Green indicates that he and Curry would happily adjust their games to make room for LeBron James to play a significant role on the team.
It seems that the Warriors have a solid vision of what their team would function like if James joined them. And having a foundational identity is the start of building a championship culture for a franchise. LeBron James is apparently looking for exactly that with a team.
Green has been very verbal about pitching the Warriors to LeBron James in free agency. And since Green is currently himself a free agent, I am fairly certain he has shared this vision with James in private conversations.
However, we also anticipate that it is no longer a foregone conclusion that Draymond Green will return even if LeBron James does not join them in free agency. There are multiple landing spots he could be looking at if he wants to earn more money or play with James as a teammate elsewhere.
Even though sources have stated that James likely prefers going to the East, there is also another factor that may still be working in the Warriors’ favor, and that’s LeBron James’ daughter, Zhuri, who may make him stay in the West. It remains to be seen if James joins the Warriors this summer.
