Stephen A. Smith Believes Draymond Green Wants To Play For This Team
Draymond Green, Jordan Poole and the Golden State Warriors have been the hottest topic in the NBA over the last week because of an incident that leaked from a recent practice.
Green was seen on video punching Poole in the face.
Currently, Green is away from the team.
On Monday, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith shared a bold statement about Green (h/t Clutch Points and Legion Hoops).
Smith: "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."
Green was a second-round pick out of Michigan State in 2011 and has spent all ten seasons that he's been in the NBA with the Warriors.
They have been to the NBA Finals in six out of the last eight seasons and won four titles in that span.
The 2017 Defensive Player of The Year has two more seasons left on his contract with the Warriors.
After next season, he will have a player option in the summer of 2023, so he can opt in to play for one more year for the Warriors or opt out and become an unrestricted free agent.
As for the Lakers, they won the NBA Championship in 2020 but missed the NBA Playoffs (and play-in tournament) this past season.
Green and the Warriors had faced off with LeBron James in the NBA Finals four times (when James was on the Cleveland Cavaliers).
The Warriors will host the Lakers on Oct. 18 for their first game of the 2022-23 NBA regular season.
