Draymond Green Could be the Missing Piece For the OKC Thunder

Although Draymond Green has a reputation for being a villain in Oklahoma City, the Thunder might benefit greatly from having him. Although Green has never played for another team, his time in San Francisco may be coming to an end given the team’s current circumstances. Green plays for the Golden State Warriors. A change of scenery might be just what the former all-star needs as he serves an extended suspension for his egregious foul against Jusuf Nurkic earlier this month. Bill Simmons suggested that Oklahoma City would be a good option in a podcast he did with Ryen Russillo. He might be the final piece that the Thunder need, provided they can acquire him for a reasonable fee.

Green might start in lieu of Josh Giddey in the starting lineup given the uncertainties surrounding his future and his subpar play this season. The forward would start on the wing, Jalen Williams on the wing, and Chet Holmgren next to him in the frontcourt. He would also get to set up and screen for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after spending the previous ten years doing the same for Stephen Curry. In 15 games this season, Green’s 5.8 assists per game would tie him for second place on the Thunder. The 6-foot-6 forward has enjoyed his finest scoring season since the 2017–18 campaign, although in a tiny sample size. This season, he has also made a respectable 18 of 42 3-pointers.

The clear risk associated with Green will be his availability—not an injury, but rather his activities on the court, which

have gotten out of hand in recent months. An issue that the Warriors are

now facing, and one that head coach Steve Kerr brought up following the

news of Green’s most recent ban. “The person who must change is the one who

grabbed and choked Rudy (Gobert), flailed violently at Jusuf (Nurkic), and

punched Jordan (Poole) last year,” Kerr stated. And he is aware of that. On that

end, the former Defensive Player of the Year may elevate the Thunder to the

level of a championship-caliber club if they think he can or has changed.

Green has been selected to an All-Defensive team in eight of the past nine seasons, anchoring a top-five defense five times in that span. With the Thunder ranking sixth in defensive rating this season, he could improve an already elite defense. While the defensive star would not necessarily solve Oklahoma City’s rebounding problems, his experience as a small-ball center could bolster the team’s defense when Holmgren is off the floor. Considering Green has weaknesses similar to Giddey’s offensively, Oklahoma City’s starting five could also see a sizeable improvement with the defensive upgrade. With three years left on his contract after this season, the Warriors could be willing to move on from a key piece of four championship teams. To make salaries match, Davis Bertans would need to be included.

The Thunder would also probably need to add a combination of at least two draft picks or young players. The Thunder may be willing to ship out guys like Tre Mann, Aaron Wiggins, Aleksej Pokusevski, Ousmane Dieng, and Aaron Wiggins to the Warriors. Given that none of those five players have been a consistent member of Oklahoma City’s rotation this season, a trade for Green might be a low-risk option if Golden State is right to demand draft compensation.