NBA Execs: Warriors Should Trade Draymond Green, 'Strong Chance' He Leaves in FA

Draymond Green has acknowledged his time with the Golden State Warriors will end at some point, but executives around the NBA think their divorce should happen before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.

Per Sean Deveney of Heavy.com (h/t Jack Simone), one Western Conference executive explained why trading Green would be in Golden State's best interest:

"If they made the decision that they're not giving up any of the young kids, then that's fine, but are you going to just keep chugging forward with what you've got? Obviously, the Draymond punch with [Jordan] Poole was a bigger deal than they let on, it is still dragging down that team. No doubt about it."

A Western Conference executive told Deveney in December there is a "pretty strong" chance Green leaves the Warriors as a free agent this summer.

There has been no indication from the Warriors that they are looking to move on from Green at this point. The reigning NBA champions are looking to win another title with this core group of players.

The dynamic between Green and Jordan Poole since their practice altercation in October is something observers have been keeping an eye on.

In an interview with B/R's Taylor Rooks, Green said the "writing's on the wall" for his future with the Warriors.

In the same interview, Green said the incident with Poole changed their relationship, and it's still a "work in progress" to rebuild it.

Green can force the Warriors to decide they want to move on from him, rather than taking matters into his own hands. The 32-year-old has a $27.6 million player option for the 2023-24 campaign he can opt in to.

Despite playing around .500 for most of this season, the Warriors are currently the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference. They are spending $360 million on this roster between payroll and luxury-tax payments to get average play.

If Warriors general manager Bob Myers can find a deal involving Green that would improve their chances this season and help them long-term, it wouldn't hurt to at least explore options.

Green remains an important piece of the puzzle in Golden State as the team chases a fifth championship in nine seasons. The four-time All-Star leads the team with 6.9 assists and ranks second with 7.4 rebounds per game in 45 starts.