After a successful draft night that put an emphasis on free agency, the Sacramento Kings have around $30 million in cap space to work with when July 1st rolls around. Of course, there are some fan favorites that Sac Town wants to see, but former NBA executive John Hollinger says that the Golden State Warriors are seriously worried about the possibility of Draymond Green joining the Kings this off-season.
Hollinger wrote this on The Athletic (subscription required):
"“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”"
Green will be a free agent this off-season after declining his player option with Golden State.
While this may not be a surprise to Kings fans, it absolutely is a possibility that causes mixed emotions. Green has played his entire career with the division rivals, and a switch to the Kings would likely take some adjusting. Many Kings fans will not want this to happen purely because of the drama during game 2 of the first round in the 2023 NBA playoffs, where Green stomped on Kings’ center Domantas Sabonis’ chest after Sabonis had his arm caught around Green’s leg.
Green was ejected during that game and suspended for game three of the series Golden State eventually went on to win in game 7.
Despite all that drama, there have been rumors about Draymond joining the Kings this off-season floating around for a while. Green has ties to Kings head coach Mike Brown and has spoken highly of the Kings’ success this past season.
In a podcast episode from #thisleague UNCUT, Green said the following:
"“What Mike Brown has done to Sacramento is absolutely amazing. I expect him to continue taking that franchise upward in the right direction. I give them their props. They’re doing a great job.”"
With clear admiration for Mike Brown and the Sacramento Kings, there is one question that needs to be answered still:
Should the Sacramento Kings target Draymond Green this off-season?
Lots of fans will instantly block out this notion due to Draymond’s past drama, and lots of others support this idea.
The Kings should keep an eye on this possibility. Despite what anyone may feel about Draymond Green, he is a 4-time NBA champion and also a former defensive player of the year. Veteran experience like that, as well as support for the Kings’ defense, which struggled last year, is invaluable in helping a team compete for a championship.
Green on the Kings would likely let Keegan Murray shift to the wing and have Draymond start at the four.
Putting pressure on Golden State would be wise as well. Green is reportedly looking for a contract worth $100 million, and while this may be a lot to dish out for a 33-year-old player, offering a contract to Green will put immense pressure on the Warriors to overspend on Green. Losing the trio of Green, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson could majorly hurt the Warriors.
In the end, this should be a win-win. Either the Kings get a great addition to help take them to the next level, or a division rival has to overspend.
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