After LeBron agreed to a veteran's minimum to join the Philadelphia 76ers this week, Yahoo Sports NBA analyst Kevin O'Connor wondered if the Golden State Warriors free agent Draymond Green could pull off the unthinkable as well.
"Do you return to Golden State? Get paid, stay loyal to Steph, but the front office tried trading you 5 months ago and won't hesitate to do so again?" O'Connor wrote on X. "Or do you look around at other teams? Follow LeBron to Philly on a minimum, sign-and-trade possibilities. Plenty of teams would want Draymond."
If the Sixers struck out on LeBron, I believe trying to lure in Draymond for one season would've been worth a shot. Now that LeBron is in the picture, it would've been hard to see Draymond joining the Sixers purely from a role perspective. The team has James, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid in the frontcourt. Would the four-time champion come off the bench?
You can add that question to a list of reasons why the door should be slammed shut on the possibility of Draymond Green joining the 76ers.
Money talks, and Golden State's got it
Both LeBron James and Draymond Green have made plenty of money throughout their careers, but we don't need to check the Forbes list to see who has the higher net worth. James has been in the NBA making millions since 2003. Green entered the NBA in 2012, and his first contract was for $2.6 million over three years. Not to mention, James has been the face of the league for decades and has more endorsements than you can imagine.
LeBron's major pay cut is historic, but he'll be just fine. And nobody is going to blame Draymond for going back to his first and only NBA home to make almost $30 million.
ESPN's Anthony Slater was asked about the idea of Green taking a pay cut to play elsewhere before LeBron made his decision. "If they were to get LeBron, that could maybe get him a multi-year deal at a lower number, but still, financial security. … Draymond would have to take the minimum. … I know Draymond Green. He likes $27.7 million a lot more than $3.9 million," Slater said on ESPN this week.
The Sixers' next move is already becoming clear
Not even 24 hours after LeBron James confirmed his move, one of his former teammates was linked to the 76ers. According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is negotiating a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies and intends to join the Sixers.
Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the buyout has been agreed to, and Caldwell-Pope will join the 76ers after he clear waivers. The Draymond Green narrative lived for less than a day. Now, it's time to leave it in the rearview.
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