Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesFuture Hall of Fame point Chris Paul backed the idea of the Golden State Warriors re-signing Draymond Green in free agency Tuesday.
When asked by TMZ Sports if he would like to see Green back with the Dubs, Paul replied, “Absolutely.”
After initially getting traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Washington Wizards for guard Bradley Beal, Paul was flipped to the Warriors last week in exchange for guard Jordan Poole and two draft picks.
The 38-year-old Paul continues to chase an elusive championship ring after failing to win one in his first 18 NBA seasons with the New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Suns.
Paul and the Suns reached the NBA Finals in 2021, but fell to the Milwaukee Bucks. They were also a popular pick to win it all last season after acquiring Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets, but they were tripped up in the second round of the playoffs.
The Suns decided to shake things up in the wake of their shortcomings, and Paul ended up being a casualty, along with head coach Monty Williams.
CP3 ultimately landed in a good situation, though, as he was dealt to a Warriors team that has won four championships in the past nine seasons, including their most recent one in 2022.
Much of the credit for Golden State’s success tends to go to Stephen Curry and even Klay Thompson, but there is no question Green has played a role in building and maintaining a winning culture.
The four-time All-Star and one-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year doesn’t typically put up eye-popping numbers, but he has built a Hall of Fame case for himself nonetheless.
Green boasts career averages of 8.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 block per game, and he also impacts the game in ways that don’t show up on the score sheet.
He is the ultimate glue guy, and the Warriors may not have won any of their four championships without him.
Green is testing free agency, but it is difficult to envision him playing anywhere else, and he may not have to.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported this week that the Warriors had “strong confidence” in being able to sign Green to a new multi-year deal.
If the Warriors do bring back Green, it will perhaps solidify them as the veteran-most team in the NBA with a core of Curry, Thompson, Paul and Green.
That means their championship window may not be open for long, but they would have the type of experience and leadership needed to play winning basketball in the playoffs and contend at the very least.
Source : Bleacher Report