The Golden State Warriors are making moves. Draymond Green has declined his $27.7 million player option to become a free agent, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, giving Golden State the financial flexibility to pursue something far more ambitious than anyone anticipated heading into free agency.
The question is no longer whether the Warriors are swinging big. It is how they could actually pull it off.
The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami laid out exactly what it would take for Golden State to land Anthony Davis and potentially convince LeBron James to join Stephen Curry in the Bay.
What It Would Take to Land Davis
GettyAnthony Davis is a three-time blocks champion and 10-time All-Star.
Kawakami outlined the moving parts that would need to align for a Davis trade to materialize. Golden State would need to move Jimmy Butler‘s contract and draft picks to facilitate the deal. They would need to extend Davis after acquiring him. They would need to step away from ongoing Kristaps Porzingis negotiations entirely. And they would need to re-sign Green at a significantly lower number than the $27.7 million he just opted out of.
“It’s A LOT,” Kawakami wrote.
That is not a dismissal of the idea. It is an honest accounting of the complexity involved. The Warriors have always had genuine interest in Davis. The opt-out from Green creates the financial window. Whether all the pieces can be assembled simultaneously is the real question.
The LeBron Connection
GettyLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Charania reported that Green’s opt-out gives Golden State time and space to pursue Davis via trade with the Washington Wizards and convince James to join Curry, Green, and his former Los Angeles Lakers championship teammate in the Bay.
Kawakami noted something significant about the timing of Green’s decision. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. had said just days ago that the Warriors expected Green to pick up the option. The fact that he opted out instead suggests something may have shifted behind the scenes, potentially a signal from James that Golden State had not received before.
“Dunleavy said a few days ago that they expected Draymond to opt into this year,” Kawakami wrote. “I said that meant that LeBron probably hadn’t given them a signal. And now this is different. Is this a signal?”
What a Big Four Would Look Like
GettyLeBron James, Steph Curry and Anthony Davis during an NBA game.
Curry, Green, James, and Davis on the same roster would be one of the most star-studded lineups the league has seen in years. Curry provides the shooting and playmaking that opens everything up. James brings the scoring versatility and veteran leadership. Davis gives Golden State the dominant frontcourt presence the franchise has never had during the dynasty years. Green remains the defensive anchor and connective tissue that holds it all together..
The Complications for the Warriors
None of this is simple. Butler’s contract moving is not guaranteed. Davis would need to agree to an extension, adding financial complexity on top of the trade itself. Porzingis negotiations would need to be abandoned entirely. Green re-signing at a discount requires him to accept less than the $27.7 million he just opted out of.
Each individual piece is a significant ask. All of them happening at once is an enormous undertaking even for a front office as experienced as Dunleavy’s.
Final Word for the Warriors
Draymond Green opting out when everyone expected him to opt in is the biggest development of Golden State’s offseason. It clears a path. It signals intent. Something larger already appears to be in motion behind the scenes.
Whether that something is Davis, James, or both remains to be seen. But the Warriors are not standing pat. The next few days will define what this franchise looks like for the remainder of Curry’s career.
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