The One Scenario That Could Lead to a Warriors Draymond Green Trade

The Golden State Warriors have optionality to make major changes during the 2026-27 season as well as next offseason.

Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green are on expiring contracts. Though it's expected that Curry will be back with the Warriors for the 2027-28 season, the statuses of Green and Butler will be dependent on how the 2026-27 season goes.

Marcus Thompson of The Athletic went on The Kevin O'Connor Show and talked about how volatile the Warriors' future is.

"I think by the trade deadline, we’ll know this is gonna be tough," Thompson said. "And we could really fully be saying goodbye, right? Like, Draymond could be traded at the trade deadline."

Thompson added: "If Draymond leaves, there’s a sense you could feel like they just might start this thing completely over.”

Several Things Must Align for a Green Trade

Thompson's premise makes sense. If the Warriors are floundering by the trade deadline, there would be no obvious reason to keep Green.

But trading Green won't be so simple.

With a $27.7 million salary, Green is an expensive one-year rental for a contender. The Warriors won't want to take back any long-term money, so a contender will need $27.7 million in expiring salary.

Most contenders don't have $27.7 million in expiring salary that they would be willing to trade because the player(s) making that are too valuable.

Some would argue that Green has negative trade value now. In other words, some would say the Warriors should have to trade a second-round pick or two just to move him.

But if a rival team asked for any draft compensation, the Dubs would simply keep him and either a) buy him out or b) let his contract expire in the offseason.

So to recap, here are the things that must align:

- The Warriors have to be so far behind in the standings that they are sellers
- A contender needs to want Green
- A contender needs to have $27.7 million in expiring salary they'd consider moving
- The Warriors will have to either a) get something valuable back for him or b) decide to do right by him by getting nothing valuable back in return

My guess is the contender most likely to match well with the Warriors is the Pistons. A trade framework of John Collins and Isaiah Joe for Green would work, as both Collins and Joe can be released in the offseason for no cap penalty.

The chances are the Pistons would rather keep Collins and Joe, but if they feel like Green's defense would be the missing piece for a title push, they could go after the Saginaw native.

Green Trade Is Very Unlikely

If it gets to the point where Green and the Warriors agree that they are better off parting ways, a buyout feels much more likely than a trade.

One would imagine that a few contenders would be interested in Green on a prorated veteran minimum contract.

Let's use the Philadelphia 76ers as an example. If they wanted to trade for Green, they'd have to do something like a five-for-one trade to a) aggregate enough salary and b) avoid trading one of their starters.

That's never gonna happen.

But the Sixers do have just enough room under the first apron to sign Green if he's bought out around the trade deadline.

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