As the trade deadline ticks closer, Golden State remains among Giannis Antetokounmpo's top suitors. One problem with the Warriors' pick-heavy pitch is a lack of appealing blue-chip talent, but there are other issues as well. Specifically, a declining Draymond Green on a $26 million salary would be among the outgoing pieces.
That's a reality that The Athletic's Sam Amick reported Green is prepared to accept (subscription required). It's also not ideal for the Bucks.
While Green is a key cog in Golden State's system, his value elsewhere, particularly on a rebuilding team, would be limited. The Bucks would likely want to re-route him in a trade, but what assets could they net in return? Green is 35 years old and has a $27.7 million player option for next season. That's not a contract teams will be lining up to take on.
The problem of unloading Green is one the Bucks should be keen to avoid as the Warriors press them for an answer ahead of Thursday's deadline.
Green is a burden the Bucks would soon regret accepting
Previously, many assumed the Warriors would match Giannis' salary with Jimmy Butler, who tore his ACL last month and is done for the year. Golden State has since made itvclear that Butler will not be involved. For financial reasons, Green is an all but inevitable component of any return package. Combining his salary with Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski would do the trick.
That's not an appetizing aggregation of talent, and the Warriors roster doesn't have much else to offer. Adding Green to the equation only makes matters worse.
One might imagine that Green still has enough value for the Bucks to re-route him for extra assets. In year 14, he's averaging 8.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. He's not the defender he was in his prime, but he is still a physical matchup and savvy communicator.
It's not enough to overcome concerns about his age, contract, and fit outside Golden State.
"League sources say that Milwaukee has shown a reluctance to take Green's contract back and would want him to be routed to a third team if talks progressed to an advanced stage," NBA insider Marc Stein (subscription required) reported on Tuesday night. "Which would be extremely challenging when Green, 35, holds a $27.6 million player option for next season."
Stein went so far as to label Green a "tangible trade obstacle" in negotiations.
The Bucks are reluctant to take on Green for good reason. Golden State's offer is already problematic. Kuminga and Podziemski are not blue-chip players. The package would be predicated on draft capital, with the real value backloaded far into the future. If the Bucks got stuck with Green or had to flip him for nothing (worse, would they have to attach a sweetener themselves?), the present would sour as well.
Clearly, they haven't dismissed the Warriors altogether or they wouldn't still be pursuing Giannis with such vigor. As Milwaukee weighs competing offers, however, General Manager Jon Horst should stick to his instincts. Taking on a bad contract for a player of little value to the Bucks would kick off a rebuild on the wrong foot.