Draymond Green Declines Player Option, Opening Door for LeBron James and Anthony Davis to Join Warriors

Draymond Green declined his $27.6m player option on Monday, signaling the Golden State Warriors could be preparing to make some big moves.

ESPN reports ⁠that the Warriors needed some financial flexibility if they are going to pursue free agent LeBron James and complete a trade for Anthony Davis with the Washington ⁠Wizards.

Green reportedly has indicated ⁠to the Warriors ​that he would be willing to work out a new deal at a lower salary for next season if that means the team can ⁠add crucial pieces to the roster.

James’s longtime associate Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports, is also the agent for Green and Davis.

According to the ESPN report, James would take a ⁠pay cut to play for the Warriors. He played last season on the final year of a two-year, $101m contract with the Lakers, and only Los Angeles ‌could sign him to a ‌deal in that salary range. ESPN reported the Warriors could offer him a $15.1m non-taxpayer midlevel exception.

But money isn’t ‌likely to be the driving force as James decides whether to retire or play a 24th NBA season. Already, he has earned $581m in salary, per Spotrac, and with his side business ventures and endorsements, has a net worth of around $1.4bn.

More valuable is the opportunity for a chance to play with Green and Davis, two of ‌his closest friends. James and Curry, after battling it out in four consecutive NBA finals from 2015 to 2018, are said to have become closer in the past few years.

The Lakers had the oldest ​roster in the 2025-26 season with an average age of 30. The Warriors were second- oldest at 28.6 years old. Curry is 38, Green is ​36, James is 41 and Davis ​33 – an average age of 37. Should ​this group come together, the Warriors would probably need to trade 36-year-old Jimmy Butler to ​the Wizards as part ‌of the NBA-required ​salary balance. However, ESPN reported ​that Butler has been informed by the team they would prefer to retain him.

Should the Curry-Green-James-Davis quartet come together, the Warriors could put four players on the court with a combined ⁠13 NBA championships, 48 All- Star selections and 68 seasons.