Report: Draymond Green pauses talks with Warriors, open to meeting with other teams
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Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors have broken off talks after the two parties met Wednesday, Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports reports. Green, a restricted free agent, is now apparently open to meeting with other teams.
Source On Draymond Green talks with Warriors: "just a gap. Not going bad or good"
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 1, 2015
The Warriors can match any offer he signs, therefore Golden State shouldn't be too worried about losing the heart and soul of its team.
But at the same time, not meeting Green's demands might risk alienating the famously loud-mouthed power forward. Green is an irreplaceable piece of the Warriors' championship puzzle, serving as the perfect multifunctional big who makes the team's offense and defense run.
Still, the Warriors understand Green's value, and management has repeatedly stated its intent to retain Green, even at the max, which is the likely sticker price for his services.
The Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and Houston Rockets have all been linked to Green. But an offer from them remains unlikely, as the Warriors will have 72 hours to match. During that time, those teams would be slapped with a cap hold, which might lead them to miss out on other free-agent signings.
The 25-year-old averaged 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 31.5 minutes per game last season. The Warriors were 15.5 points better with Green on the court.