Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green linked up with Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum in Paris.
Green is facing a potential free agency decision with a $27.6 million player option on his contract. Amid rumors of the Warriors trying to make win-now moves, Green’s future might be uncertain heading into the offseason.
Seeing Green and Tatum together sends a subtle reminder to the Warriors front office that he could be recruited by their rivals if his future remains unresolved.
Draymond Green’s Paris party with Jayson Tatum has fans talking
The offseason often leads to stars linking up with rivals during chance encounters or even planned vacations. What happened here is unclear, but Green and Tatum definitely were having a good time together in Paris sometime this week.
“Green, 2028 second round pick, and Melton to Boston for White and Banton,” said one fan, drawing up a potential trade proposal.
“Draymond to Boston? …can’t be Tatum to Golden State,” wondered another fan.
“Warriors fans are about to convince themselves this means Tatum is coming to Golden State,” said a fan going the opposite direction.
“Trying to cope with how the front office fumbled on Giannis,” joked one fan about Tatum after Boston’s failed attempts at acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Draymond Green’s Warriors future should be resolved soon
It’s unclear whether Green plans on declining his player option for a longer-term extension after testing the free agency market or accepting it to maximize what he can earn next season.
The smart decision would be for Green to decline and go into the market, as the 36-year-old is still a valued commodity in the NBA. He averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists last season, but he’s still considered one of the best defensive players in the NBA.
The Warriors could be forced to give Green more long-term security with a new extension as he enters his late-30s, but it might be a lower annual cost than the $27.6 million the Warriors will have to pay him if he opts in.
The Celtics have looked at frontcourt reinforcements through their summer targets so far, so Tatum might have been potentially checking on Green’s interest in joining.
Or, it might have just been an offseason encounter where the former Finals opponents left basketball behind and enjoyed their evening.
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