4 huge trades Warriors could make to shake up the roster

1. Part ways with Draymond Green

Even just a year ago, this could be considered a doomsday scenario. Now, it might be a necessary move.

Draymond Green, when he's got his head straight and is motivated, is the second most important player to the Warriors' success. That's what he's been for most of the Warriors success. He's the glue that has made them elite on defense and has kept the system of ball and player movement going on offense. That's when he's right. When he's wrong, though, he's a distraction and a detriment.

Green is a player that is heavily skewed by his emotions. When he's motivated to win and prove a point, he is elite. When he's checked out, it's tough to reel him back in. Now, he's at a point where he may not completely be with the Warriors and turning this season around. So, with him being under contract for three more seasons, they have to make a decision on him before it all falls apart for them because at that point it might be too late.

For all his faults, a motivated Draymond is a dangerous opponent, and it's because of his ability to impact winning. If he changes teams, he will carry around the narrative of "well he only had success in the Warriors system", so his motivation to prove those doubters wrong will fuel him to play well and be a good teammate. That's motivation that only a change of scenery can get him. Though coming back and proving people he's changed is a good one too, it's not like the latter, and it wouldn't hit the same if he comes back to a Warriors team that is around .500.

There are a couple of landing spots and deals that could make sense. The Mavericks could use that defensive presence, and his offense plays well off Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and they have role players (Grant Williams, Richaun Holmes, Josh Green) and draft assets to make it worth Golden State's while. A deal to the Sacramento Kings where the Warriors get Harrison Barnes back (along with, say, Trey Lyles and draft picks) could be a solid option as well. A fun option would be dealing him to Los Angeles to play with his best friend LeBron James, where the Warriors got some role players and some valuable late first-round picks.

The throughline in all these deals, and any others that didn't come to my mind, is that the Warriors would not be getting a return that's the same value as Green. That isn't happening in any deal. The reason for Golden State dealing Draymond is a small salary relief, and more so a bet on addition by subtraction. They would get depth in trading him, getting some picks to boot, and free themselves from what's been a big distraction.

It would be a sad ending to his tenure with the team, given how important he was to their dynasty. But, he made the possibility of this sad end himself.