Draymond Green Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Latest On New Collective Bargaining Agreement

April 1st, 2023 at 7:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

We learned overnight that the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement will introduce a second tax apron that imposes more severe restrictions on the league’s highest-spending teams. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski explains (via Twitter) what some of those restrictions will be.

Teams that exceed the second apron won’t be permitted to send out cash in deals, trade away first-round picks seven years in the future or sign players who become free agents in the buyout market, sources tell Wojnarowski. The new apron will reportedly be set $17.5MM above the luxury tax line, and ESPN reported earlier that teams in that category will also lose their mid-level exception in free agency.

Teams exceeding the second apron will also be prohibited from taking back more salary than they send out in a trade, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link).

Bobby Marks of ESPN points to the Suns’ acquisition of Kevin Durant in February and the Nets’ trade for James Harden in 2021 as deals that would likely have needed to be altered if the new rules were in place at the time they were made (Twitter link).

There’s more on the new CBA agreement:

Positions will no longer be taken into consideration in voting for All-NBA teams, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Under the current rules, voters must pick two guards, two forwards and a center for each of the three teams. Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid were the top vote-getters in the MVP race last year, but because they both play center, Embiid had to settle for second-team All-NBA honors.
Draymond Green isn’t a supporter of the new agreement, claiming the union didn’t get enough in negotiations. “Players lose again…. Smh! Middle and Lower spectrum teams don’t spend because they don’t want to,” he tweeted. “They want to lose. So increase their spending capabilities, just to increase them. They continue to cut out the middle. And this is what we rushed into a deal for? Smdh! Never fails.” In an exchange with fans, Green pointed out that the Warriors sold for $500MM shortly before he arrived and claimed that the team is now worth $8 billion. “Never seen someone go to a table with the assets that makes an entire machine go, and lose EVERY time! Blasphemous,” Green added.
The one-and-done rule that prevents players from entering the NBA draft directly out of high school remains in place, but Devin Booker believes it will eventually be changed, writes Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic. “I think most kids are still finding their way out or they’re not even going to college and their spending a year removed training somewhere at a prep school or something of that such,” Booker said. “So with the NIL, I think that’s a step forward. Those players are able to get paid now off their name and likeness, so that’s really important. But we’ll see. I think it will eventually get back to no college.”

Warriors Notes: Green, Myers, Rotation, Wiggins

March 29th, 2023 at 7:54am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward Draymond Green received his 17th technical foul of the season on Tuesday vs. New Orleans, meaning he’ll be subject to another automatic one-game suspension if it’s not rescinded and he earns one more technical before the team’s finale on April 9.

While he believes Tuesday’s tech should be rescinded, Green also expressed no regrets about the confrontation with Brandon Ingram that led to it (Twitter video link), referring to it as a spark for the team, as Kendra Andrews of ESPN writes. At the time that Ingram and Green were assessed double T’s in the second quarter, the Warriors trailed by nine points. They eventually won by 11.

“It was perfect. Perfectly executed,” Green said. “We looked dead those first 18 minutes. We had to find some energy somewhere. It wasn’t just going to come, especially after losing the game like we did last game; that can carry over. I felt like it did. I knew we had to do something and do it fast before the game got out of hand.”

Head coach Steve Kerr didn’t disagree with Green’s assessment, crediting the veteran’s energy for keying the comeback win.

“Draymond willed us to victory tonight,” Kerr told reporters. “Just the intensity, the frustration early with the way we were playing. Mad at the world, yelling at everybody — their bench, our bench, me — and frankly, we deserved it.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Green and Stephen Curry, who have heaped praise on Bob Myers in the past, once again expressed admiration for the Warriors’ president of basketball operations on Tuesday after Myers helped calm Green down after he received his fifth personal foul in the fourth quarter (Twitter video link). “Y’all don’t always get to see Bob’s work, other than putting the team together. But he’s so important to everything that we do,” Green said, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “… GMs don’t keep a pulse on the team like Bob keeps a pulse of this team. Maybe two other GMs in the league right there would come down to the bench and say something. And that’s also someone who I have the utmost respect for. If Bob comes and tells me something, that’s Bible to me. I’m going to listen to that.”
Gary Payton II‘s return to action this week has rotation ramifications for the Warriors, observes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Moses Moody will likely be one player affected — he logged just three total minutes in Payton’s first two games back. Anthony Lamb, Donte DiVincenzo, and Jonathan Kuminga are among the other players whose minutes could dip slightly with Payton back, Slater adds.
Andrew Wiggins remains away from the Warriors, having missed a 20th straight game on Tuesday as he deals with a personal matter. However, the idea of ruling him out for the rest of the season “hasn’t been discussed,” Kerr said on Tuesday (all Twitter links via Slater). Kerr, who expressed hope that Wiggins will return this spring, also noted that the veteran forward has been working out every day during his absence.

NBA Will Suspend Draymond Green After 16th Technical

March 16th, 2023 at 7:29pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The NBA has confirmed that it will suspend Warriors defensive anchor Draymond Green for Golden State’s next game after he incurred his 16th technical of the season in a loss against the Clippers on Wednesday, per a league press statement (Twitter link).

Golden State’s next game is on Friday in Atlanta vs. the Hawks. Green won’t be available for that one as a result of his suspension.

As was previously noted, the league could have rescinded the suspension had it so chosen, but that won’t happen.

Players are automatically suspended for one game when they accumulate 16 technical fouls in the regular season. Green is the second player to suffer that fate this season, joining nemesis Dillon Brooks of the Grizzlies.

Green would be hit with another one-game suspension is he receives two more techs before the end of the regular season. A player’s technical foul count resets at the start of the postseason.

Draymond Green Receives 16th Technical, Faces Suspension

March 15th, 2023 at 10:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors forward/center Draymond Green received a technical foul on Wednesday night against the Clippers, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

As Kendra Andrews of ESPN notes (via Twitter), it was Green’s 16th technical foul, so he will be suspended for Friday’s game versus Atlanta unless it’s rescinded by the NBA.

According to Greif (Twitter link), shortly after Green’s technical he was involved in a scuffle with Clippers forward Marcus Morris. Upon an official review of the incident, Morris received a Flagrant 2 foul and was ejected from the game.

Last week, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he hadn’t spoken to Green about being on the technical threshold, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link).

“I’ve never said one word to Draymond, and he’s never gone over the limit,” Kerr said. “He always comes right up to the edge and then he stops. He knows how valuable he is, I don’t have to say anything to him. He knows that he can’t get that next one; we need him.”

Wednesday’s matchup between the Warriors and Clippers — and Green’s imminent suspension — could have a huge impact on the Western Conference playoff race. The two teams have an identical 36-33 record, and both could easily go as high as the No. 4 seed or even drop out of the play-in tournament entirely depending on how the rest of the season plays out.

A four-time All-Star and seven-time All-Defensive team member, Green is averaging 8.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 6.8 APG and 1.0 SPG on .525/.324/.705 shooting through 61 games (31.4 MPG) this season.

Curry, Green, Kerr Hope Warriors Retain Bob Myers

March 13th, 2023 at 3:55pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors president of basketball operations and general manager Bob Myers is in the final year of his contract, and his future with the team is reportedly uncertain.

Franchise star Stephen Curry, former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green, and longtime head coach Steve Kerr all support Myers and hope the Warriors will extend his contract before it expires, reports Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.

“We were all young at one point when we were trying to figure it out,” Curry said of Myers. “One of his special abilities is to connect with you where you are. Be truthful and honest and authentic about how difficult the NBA is in the sense of decisions that are made and the business side of it. But also, he has a personal touch that you trust.”

Myers has been Golden State’s GM since 2012/13, winning four championships, including last season. Green has a $27,586,224 player option for next season, and if he exercises it, Myers will be one reason why, according to Poole.

“Bob is huge for us,” Green told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Some GMs put a team together and then they go into their office and watch to see if it works. You don’t see many GMs working daily, having conversations with guys, keeping a pulse of the team, and then having those tough conversations. General managers don’t do that in this league. Bob does. He’s incredible.”

A few months ago, Warriors owner Joe Lacob stated that the team made two contract extension offers to Myers, but obviously nothing has come to fruition as of yet. Like Curry and Green, Kerr praised Myers’ ability to build rapport with individuals at all levels, both inside and outside of the organization.

“I always talk about connectors on the floor,” Kerr told Poole. “Bob is our connector, organizationally, off the floor. His relationships with all the key figures are so important. His ability to connect with Steph and Draymond and Klay (Thompson) and, in the same moment, go upstairs and talk to Joe, talk to others in the front office, talk to media . . . he just has an amazing way with people.

“He keeps us connected in a business where it’s really easy to fray because of the pressures and the different factors involved.”

Myers has declined to discuss his contractual situation, saying he’s focused on the Warriors and the current season as they attempt to defend their title. Poole’s story features more quotes from Curry and Kerr and is worth checking out in full.

Pacific Notes: Green, Brooks, Warriors, Lakers, Clippers

March 11th, 2023 at 2:30pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors forward/center Draymond Green and Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks continued to trade barbs after Memphis blew out Golden State on Thursday night, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

At the end of the second quarter Brooks stole the ball and converted a contested layup over Green, then turned back and the two bumped chests. He eventually started jawing at Green and they had to be separated by an official, but Green remained silent.

“I kind of wanted that play, just to see what he was going to say,” Brooks said. “But he took the media approach with that and didn’t say nothing, which is cool. I was expecting him to talk a little bit more, but I guess he needs to get all his facts together and talk.”

Green downplayed the incident, saying Brooks was trying to bait him into his 16th technical foul, which would have resulted in a one-game suspension. According to MacMahon, Green also scoffed at the notion that the Warriors and Grizzlies are rivals, despite eliminating each other in the past two postseasons.

“One team has to win, and then another team has to win,” Green said. “That’s what creates a rivalry. Not because one team gets up for you and talk like they can beat you and then not. That doesn’t create a rivalry. Rivalries are created by you win, I win. Clearly, we’ve won four times, and I think their organization has zero championships, so I can’t consider that a rivalry.”

On his podcast, Green questioned whether Brooks’ teammates liked him. Brooks’ sneering retort was certainly valid, given the practice incident involving Green and Jordan Poole this past fall.

“Just the fact that he was trying to pin my teammates against me, that was a low blow,” Brooks said, per MacMahon. “So that’s what type of player he is. These are my guys. We grew it all together. I ain’t out there getting in physical altercations with my teammates. I sit there and talk to them, try to not break them down, but build them up.”

Here’s more from the Pacific:

The Warriors will continue to be shorthanded for Saturday’s home game against Milwaukee, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Second-year forward Jonathan Kuminga, who sprained his right ankle in warmups prior to Thursday’s game, has been ruled out, while Andrew Wiggins remains away from the team for personal reasons.
Entering Friday’s victory over Toronto, the Lakers held the NBA’s top defensive rating since the trade deadline, according to Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group. While Dennis Schröder, Troy Brown and Austin Reaves have been solid perimeter contributors on defense, Goon points out that the tandem of Jarred Vanderbilt and Anthony Davis has been particularly effective, with excellent defensive numbers when they’re paired together. “Him being able to communicate but also to be able to react, that’s what makes him so unique,” Vanderbilt said. “He can do both. He can talk and he can react, too. For me being on the perimeter, having a guy like A.D. behind me, I can be a lot more aggressive, knowing that I have a second line of defense.” The Lakers have gone 8-3 since they reshaped their roster.
After a five-game losing streak, the Clippers have rebounded with back-to-back victories, and they believe they’re heading in the right direction, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. “We’re figuring it out, I think we’re getting better game-by-game, definitely from these last two games,” Eric Gordon said Friday. “The sense of urgency is there. A lot of those losses came down to one possession and now we’re figuring it out a little bit more.” According to Greif, part of the team’s optimism stems from the health of Paul George, who says he can “do anything and everything I want to do” after dealing with a right knee injury last month.

Southwest Notes: Cauley-Stein, Smith, Wembanyama, Morant

March 9th, 2023 at 11:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran center Willie Cauley-Stein‘s 10-day deal with the Rockets has expired, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Feigen adds that Houston does not have any players on the docket to fill his roster spot immediately.

Given that the Rockets are now carrying just 13 players on standard contracts, one below the NBA’s required minimum, they’ll have two weeks to add a 14th player. As Feigen notes, Cauley-Stein did not play while with Houston.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. has struggled in an uneven first pro season, Feigen writes in a separate article. Selected with the third pick in 2022 out of Auburn, the 6’10” power forward has exhibited enticing defensive flashes, but has struggled offensively, Feigen notes.
The rebuilding Spurs‘ current players can’t help but acknowledge the ongoing sweepstakes for the right to draft top 2023 prospect Victor Wembanyama, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “It’s hard not to avoid looking at the bottom,” forward Keita Bates-Diop said. “I don’t like looking at it when I see it.” Veteran San Antonio forward Doug McDermott also weighed in: “I know everyone is probably aware of (the standings). You see it on social media and it’s kind of hard to escape. But it’s not like I’m checking on my phone every night to see where we’re at.”
Warriors power forward Draymond Green weighed in on the plight of troubled Grizzlies All-Star point guard Ja Morant on his self-titled podcast. Green opined that Morant could learn from All-Star veterans LeBron James and Stephen Curry, both of whom have been model citizens while operating as the de facto faces of the league. (hat tip to Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal for the transcription). “You can’t be the face of the NBA putting the NBA in harm’s way,” Green said. “A team competing at a championship level, No. 2 seed in the West, it’s being thrown away.”

California Notes: Mann, Kawhi, PG, Green, Russell

March 9th, 2023 at 5:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Clippers reserve guard Terance Mann is adjusting to his new gig behind starting point guard Russell Westbrook, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Having replaced Reggie Jackson, Mann had been the team’s starter at the point until Westbrook joined the club.

“It’s all right,” Mann said of the change. “Kind of reminds me of the position I had (before). I think I’ve been here before earlier in the year. Same sort of role if I can recall. But it’s been going all right. Just figuring it out. New unit. New voices out there. Different looks. So just sifting it out, sifting through it.

“… You know, they just want me to go out there and bring energy,” Mann continued. “I think I can do a way better job defensively than I had been doing. But just bring energy on the offensive. Make shots and play defense. And I think that’s going to be my role on this team, from here on out.”

There’s more out of California:

Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue is counting on star wings Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to help the team hone its defense in the home stretch of the season, says Law Murray of The Athletic. “The last two days, we challenged our team to be better defensively, and I thought tonight with [George] setting the tone early, I just thought our defense tonight was really good,” Lue said. “I thought we really got into the ball. We were physical… I thought PG and Kawhi really set the tone early, and everyone else I thought was really good defensively.”
Ahead of Wednesday’s Golden State/Memphis game, Warriors forward Draymond Green took to his podcast via The Volume and launched into a lengthy tirade against Grizzlies small forward Dillon Brooks, who had previously talked derisively about Green, writes Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “This idiot said, ‘I don’t know what Draymond does out there, I just don’t like Golden State,'” Green said said. “I, quite frankly, wouldn’t like a team that beats me all the time, either.”
Lakers starting point guard D’Angelo Russell is expected to return to action on Friday for the team’s game against the Raptors, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). McMenamin adds that Russell will immediately move ahead of Dennis Schröder, who had been starting while D-Lo was hurt.

Western Notes: Brooks, Holmes, Clippers, Waters

March 3rd, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

An in-depth feature on Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks by Tim Keown of ESPN includes several interesting tidbits, including a detailed look at how Brooks thrives on defense and comments from head coach Taylor Jenkins about how important the 27-year-old is to the team’s culture. However, the spiciest part of the story comes when Brooks discusses one of Memphis’ chief rivals in the Western Conference.

“I don’t like Draymond at all,” Brooks said of Warriors forward Draymond Green. “I just don’t like Golden State. I don’t like anything to do with them. Draymond talks a lot. Gets away with a lot, too. His game is cool — with Golden State — but if you put him anywhere else, you’re not going to know who Draymond is. He plays with heart, plays hard, knows the ins and outs of their defense. I guess that’s why they like him over there.”

According to Keown, Green laughed and declined to comment when asked for the opportunity to respond, but Brooks’ expression of his views on Golden State and the former Defensive Player of the Year figure to add a fun new wrinkle to the next Grizzlies/Warriors matchup.

On a related note, Brooks will have to make an effort to keep his emotions in check on the court during the final weeks of the season. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets, the Grizzlies forward received his 15th technical foul of 2022/23 on Wednesday — a 16th would trigger an automatic one-game suspension.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Kings big man Richaun Holmes is suing the Sacramento Bee for defamation, according to Chris Haynes of TNT (Twitter link). The lawsuit alleges that The Bee, in a series of five articles, “intentionally, and maliciously, published claims of child and domestic abuse by Holmes despite easily accessible evidence to the contrary via public court filings.” Oddly, The Bee’s initial story on the domestic abuse accusations – which surfaced during a custody battle that Holmes eventually won – was presented as an opinion column rather than a news report.
After the team’s fourth consecutive loss on Thursday, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said his club needs to be mentally “tougher,” per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. The Clips have blown double-digit leads in three of their four losses since the All-Star break. “I don’t care about missed shots, it’s going to happen,” Lue said. “You’re going to turn the ball over some, but you can’t give in, and my thing is just having that toughness and that mindset that, ‘OK, things are not going well, then let’s do something about it.'”
Thunder wing Lindy Waters, who grew up in Norman and played his college ball at Oklahoma State, is thrilled to have signed a standard NBA contract with his hometown team, as Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes. “Thankful for a lot of people along the way that helped me to get to where I am,” Waters said. “Very thankful for the organization for giving me a shot, letting me come in and work out and showing they care. But yeah, it’s just been a wild ride.”

Warriors Notes: D. Green, Poole, Baldwin, Lamb, Jerome

February 28th, 2023 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Having missed two straight games due to a right knee contusion, Warriors forward/center Draymond Green underwent an MRI to determine whether there was any damage in the knee. Fortunately, that MRI came back clean, head coach Steve Kerr said on Monday (Twitter link via Kendra Andrews of ESPN).

Green practiced on Monday and was initially listed as questionable for Golden State’s contest against Portland on Tuesday, but was later upgraded to probable, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).

While it sounds like the Warriors should have Green back in action later today, forward Andrew Wiggins remains out for personal reasons — he hasn’t played since February 13.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

With Stephen Curry on the shelf, Jordan Poole has relied more heavily on isolations and is performing below his usual standards as of late, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Kerr, who was seen at Monday’s practice having a one-on-one sitdown with the fourth-year guard, told reporters that he wants Poole to focus on “trying a little less hard to make the great play.” The 23-year-old is shooting just 28.3% from the floor (21.7% on threes) since the All-Star break. “He wants so badly to help that he’s trying too hard and taking some shots that are a little difficult,” Kerr said.
Warriors rookie Patrick Baldwin only appeared in 16 NBA games prior to the All-Star Game, but has played at least 10 minutes in the team’s three games since the break, scoring 25 points in 39 minutes and making 7-of-13 threes during that stretch. While Baldwin’s recent success bodes well for his long-term outlook, it may also pay dividends for this season’s version of the Warriors, according to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, who notes that the team is always on the lookout for frontcourt players who can spread the floor while playing alongside Green or Kevon Looney.
Anthony Lamb and Ty Jerome are both nearing the 50-game limit for players on two-way contracts, notes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Lamb can be active for up to four more games, while Jerome has eight active games remaining. The Warriors could circumvent those restrictions and make both players postseason-eligible by promoting them to the 15-man roster, but the club currently only has one opening available on its 15-man squad and may soon have to make some difficult decisions.