Draymond Green was seriously about to ditch the Golden State Warriors for the Memphis Grizzlies back in the summer of 2023, a move that would have rocked the Western Conference. Forget quiet off-seasons; Green himself spilled the tea on how close he came to taking his talents to Golden State’s rivals, and it wasn’t just some casual flirtation. This was a real threat to the Warriors’ dynasty, coming off a seriously wild year for the squad.
The Summer of Chaos and the $10 Million Stare-Down
Man, that 2023 summer was absolutely pivotal for the Warriors. Their title defense had crashed and burned with a second-round playoff loss after a season that kicked off with Draymond punching Jordan Poole in a preseason practice. Poole and Andrew Wiggins got their contract extensions, but Green, despite holding a player option for 2023-24, was left hanging. The Warriors made some big moves, shipping Poole, Ryan Rollins, and Patrick Baldwin, Jr. out of town and bringing in Chris Paul. Eventually, they did ink Green to a four-year contract worth $100 million, but not before some serious drama. Green made it clear: he was ready to bolt for Memphis. He called the Warriors, telling them, “Yo I’m gonna go to…” showing he was prepared to make it real. He wasn’t bluffing either, claiming the Grizzlies put a cool $10 million more on the table than Golden State’s initial offer.
The Bluff That Wasn’t and the Grizzlies’ Big Miss
Green stated he needed a sign-and-trade to snag that extra cash from the Grizzlies, which is when the Warriors finally upped their offer. Green even claims his old team “moved the goalposts” in those trade talks with Memphis. It’s not totally clear how the Grizzlies would have structured a deal or when these sign-and-trade talks actually went down. Memphis ended up grabbing Marcus Smart and, tellingly, jettisoned Green’s long-time arch-enemy, Dillon Brooks. Green, for his part, ended up back with the Warriors for almost the exact same money and years as his previous deal, the $100 million over four years securing his return. It was a close call, and you gotta wonder what Memphis was thinking letting him get away.
What if Green actually had landed in Memphis? The fit would have made a ton of sense. Despite antagonizing Memphis fans for years, Green could have played center defensively, freeing up Jaren Jackson, Jr. to roam, block shots, and, well, continue not to grab a ton of rebounds. Green’s legendary “lunch pail,” “bully ball,” and straight-up bullying attitude perfectly matched the grit-and-grind legacy of those classic Zach Randolph, Mike Conley, Tony Allen, and Marc Gasol Grizzlies teams. Imagine that intensity unleashed in Beale Street blue. Instead, he’s still with Golden State, but it sure makes you think about how different things could’ve been.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Golden State of Mind.
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