Amid the Golden State Warriors’ reported interest in Trey Murphy III, radio host Mark Willard has proposed a bold trade that would see the franchise move on from Draymond Green. Murphy will earn $27,000,000 in the upcoming season, while Green has a $27,678,571 player option.
From a salary-matching standpoint, the deal makes sense. It also gives the New Orleans Pelicans an expiring contract on their books, so even if they can’t trade Green, he will only be a one-year rental. To sweeten the deal, Willard suggested the Warriors include two first-round picks.
“I say Draymond Green and two future firsts for Trey Murphy,” he said on Wednesday on 95.7 The Game’s Willard & Dibs Show. “Money lines up. It gets the Pelicans two future first-round draft picks and accelerates their $30 million that will clear off at the end of books at the end of the year, this year, instead of three years down the road. I don’t know that they would do it. Maybe not. Maybe closer to probably not.”
Murphy has three years left on his contract, including next season. He’s 26 and is slightly older than where their core needs to be.
Willard doesn’t think it will bolster the Warriors to contender status, but he feels getting younger could improve the team significantly. He added that the Warriors should acquire Yaxel Lendeborg with their 2026 first-round pick and re-sign Kristaps Porzingis, calling it a “dream offseason.”
What the Warriors think about Draymond Green ahead of free agency
The Golden State Warriors want Draymond Green to return if he enters unrestricted free agency by opting out of his contract. Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. shared updates on the negotiations with Green and Kristaps Porzingis on Wednesday, saying (via Warriors reporter Kenzo Fukuda):
“Think we’re in a good place with all of them [free agents]. … As far as Draymond and KP – Draymond’s got the player option – we’re in communication with his group. And same thing with KP. Both guys, I think we value, we want here, and we see them as a kind of a puzzle.”
With Jimmy Butler likely sidelined for all of the 2026-27 season after suffering an ACL tear in January, the Warriors will need a savvy presence in the frontcourt, and Draymond Green provides that. While he’s aged and isn’t close to his prime, when the stakes are high, his partnership with Steph Curry can still save them from crunch situations.
However, Green remains an enticing asset if the Warriors do wish to get younger, so it remains to be seen how things play out for the former Defensive Player of the Year.
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