Former NBA executive John Hollinger believes that the Golden State Warriors are “sweating” about Draymond Green possibly joining the Sacramento Kings this offseason in free agency.
“The Warriors have to be sweating right now, at the very least, because there is now a highly plausible rival Green bidder on the market,” Hollinger wrote. “Of course, that’s not the only situation in which the Kings can be a threat.”
The Kings could open up about $34 million in cap space this offseason if they renounce Harrison Barnes, Alex Len, Chimezie Metu, Matthew Dellavedova and Terence Davis, decline the team option on Kessler Edwards and waive P.J. Dozier.
Green seems to be looking for a contract in the range of $100 million this offseason.
Sacramento, who earned the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference in the 2022-23 season, could look at Green as a player who can help take it to the next level. The Kings were eliminated by Green and the Warriors in the playoffs this season.
Hollinger mentioned several factors that could make Green a nice fit in Sacramento, starting with the team’s need to improve on defense.
The Kings ranked 24th in the NBA in defensive rating this season. Adding a former Defensive Player of the Year in Green could help the team move up in that statistic, which is crucial since the team already had one of the best offenses in the NBA.
Hollinger also pointed out Green’s relationship with Kings head coach Mike Brown, who was an assistant on the Golden State staff prior to taking the Kings job.
It’s hard to see the Warriors letting Green walk, but he is an unrestricted free agent after opting out of his player option for the 2023-24 season.
The Kings could at least make a competitive offer to Green in an attempt to weaken a division rival.
During the 2022-23 season, Green averaged 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.0 steal per game for Golden State while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from beyond the arc.
A four-time champion with Golden State, Green has played his entire career alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson with the Warriors, so a change of scenery would take some getting used to.
