20 June 2023 , 12:54
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Draymond Green was spotted in France with LeBron James the day he made it clear that he'd be opting out of his contract with the Golden State Warriors.
Green declined his player option with the team for the upcoming 2023/24 season on Tuesday, a move that was looking increasingly likely as he seeks for the security of a lucrative new long-term deal.
While that deal still may come from the Warriors, it's fair to say it's unlikely, with the team up against the salary cap after giving Jordan Poole a big extension - leaving Green likely to now play the field to garner interest from other teams.
And after being heavily linked with joining LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, Green was spotted in France with James on the same day the news became public.
Green and James have become close friends in recent years, after their battles in the NBA Finals from 2016-2018 with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Warriors.
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And over the last few months, ESPN First Take host and insider Stephen A. Smith has stated that he believes Green will be a Laker next season.
On the Warriors plans, Smith said: "I can tell you right now, [Andrew] Wiggins and Poole are a priority. I can tell you right now that Draymond Green is expecting this to be his last year in Golden State. Now, he wanna be a Laker. He ain’t gonna tell anybody that, but don’t think I don’t know. He’d prefer to be a Laker if he gotta leave Golden State."
Since these quotes, the Warriors have given Poole a big extension, while Green has now become a free agent.
Smith added: "But he looking for a payday. He gonna get $25 million this year. He got a player option for $24 million next year. The Warriors are probably hoping he don’t opt in because they’d have to pay him on top of the cats that they know that they gotta pay in Poole and Wiggins."
Green has been heavily linked with joining the Lakers and LeBron JamesThe Lakers are expected to have the cap space to pursue Green, after the team traded away Russell Westbrook and his monster salary during the trade deadline.
Klutch's Rich Paul, who also represents James, confirmed to ESPN that Green had opted against his player option, stating: "We will continue to talk to Golden State and explore all options".
Green was the 35th overall pick in the 2012 draft, and surprised everyone when he grew into a dominant defensive player - becoming a key cog in the Warriors roster alongside the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and even Kevin Durant briefly - which went on to win four NBA championships.
Green, 33, will now test free agency before who deciding to play out the latter years of his career with.