Draymond Green’s future with the Golden State Warriors was all of a sudden put into question on Wednesday after reports emerged of the former Defensive Player of the Year supposedly heading to Portland to meet with Damian Lillard. With Green recently deciding to opt out of his player option with the Warriors next season lot of fans were quick to assume that Dray’s trip to Rip City centered around his potential move to the Portland Trail Blazers to play alongside Dame.
Draymond Green’s Meeting With Damian Lillard Was NOT About Joining The Blazers
The good news for Warriors fans is that according to reports, Green’s meeting in Portland was nothing more than a catch-up with Dame. These two are friends outside the basketball court, and they probably just wanted to spend an evening together talking about non-basketball stuff.
This report comes via Blazers beat reporter Aaron J. Fentress of The Oregonian:
According to multiple NBA sources, Draymond Green was NOT in Portland meeting with Damian Lillard regarding coming to the Blazers and all signs point to him returning to Golden State.
Then again, you have to note that these two dudes live and breathe basketball. Green and Lillard are two of the most successful players in the NBA today, and they did not get to where they are right now without an elite level of dedication to their craft. As such, it’s probably close to impossible that they steered clear of any basketball-related topic throughout a 90-minute meal. It would not be surprising if Lillard asked about Green’s plans now that he’s entered free agency.
What makes this supposedly innocent meeting even more intriguing is the fact that Green has already been linked to a potential move to Portland. In fact, Sam Amick of The Athletic even noted that from Lillard’s standpoint, it would be a “dream scenario” to have Draymond as his teammate.
The Warriors Are Still In Pole Position In The Draymond Green Race
As Fentress’ report indicates, “all signs point” to the notion that Draymond Green will be back with the Warriors this coming season. The general belief is that the 33-year-old veteran opted out of his deal in order to negotiate a more long-term contract with Golden State. Green obviously loves playing for the Dubs, and he remains to be an integral part of the squad.
Much like Lillard, Green has also only played for one team throughout his NBA career. He has been nothing but loyal to the Warriors, and barring any unforeseen setbacks, he should be back in a Golden State uniform in 2023-24.
For what it’s worth, this probably won’t affect Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks all that much. Green is expected to remain in The Bay, and the rest of the NBA — including the Bucks — have been operating this summer under this premise. Similar to Milwaukee, the Warriors want to bounce back as well this coming season, and at this point, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if these two teams face off in the 2024 NBA Finals.
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