The NBA’s indefinite suspension for Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green looks like it will be coming to an end soon. Suspended since December 12th after hitting Jusuf Nurkic of the Phoenix Suns in the face, Green is set to return to the team’s facility soon to start ramping up his activity for a return to play.
To this point, the Warriors have stayed afloat without Green in the lineup. They have gone 6-4 without him, as head coach Steve Kerr has turned to rookies Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis to soak up minutes in the rotation.
Both have played well, which will create a conundrum for Kerr upon Green’s return. Will he be able to find them minutes after the veteran’s return to the court? Or will they go back to the end-of-the-bench roles that they were in earlier in the season?
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Draymond Green, Grant Williams, Josh Green, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks Updates
Kerr will have a tough decision on his hands. But, a trade could alleviate some of the pressure off of him. Currently 16-17 and in 11th place in the Western Conference, the Warriors could certainly use a shake-up to their rotation.
Could Green be someone that the team looks to trade? If that is the route that Golden State opts to take, one team to keep an eye on is the Dallas Mavericks. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer mentioned Dallas as a possible trade destination in a recent piece.
“Bill connected Green to the Mavericks last year. So, how about Grant Williams, Josh Green, and one future first? Not enough, probably. Could the Mavs find a second first-rounder on the market? I’m intrigued, since Williams could do Draymond-ish things in Golden State and Josh Green could come alive with Golden State’s system,” wrote O’Connor.
If an additional first-round pick was made available, the Warriors would think long and hard about pulling the trigger on that deal. While their defense has suffered without Green in the mix, as O’Connor states, Grant Williams would be able to provide some similarities on the court in addition to much better 3-point shooting.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Draymond Green, Grant Williams, Josh Green, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks Updates
Golden State would be able to get a look at Green, who has some upside but has not consistently gotten a chance to showcase it in Dallas. Adding draft capital would provide the Warriors with a chance to make another trade to upgrade their roster down the line.
From Dallas’ perspective, is Green, fresh off a four-year, $100 million contract this offseason, someone they would want to add to the mix? Using all of their assets and surrendering multiple draft picks would be risky for a team that doesn’t look to be championship caliber.
Would the title experience of Green be enough to push this group over the top? It would certainly be risky, as the Mavericks are running out of time to show Luka Doncic they can build a sustainable contender around him.
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