Draymond Green said he was serious about joining Memphis during his 2023 free agency before ultimately re-signing with Golden State.
Forward Draymond Green revealed that he once asked the Golden State Warriors to work out a sign-and-trade that would send him to the Memphis Grizzlies when contract talks between him and the Warriors seemed stagnant.
Green, who is entering his 15th season in the NBA with the Warriors, revealed on his podcast, "The Draymond Green Show," that he was serious about joining the Grizzlies. While he ended up remaining in Golden State, he was serious about the request in the initial stages of contract negotiations.
"I called the Warriors and said 'Yo I'm gonna go to the Grizzlies, can y'all do all y'all can do to work that sign-and-trade," Green said on his podcast.
He went on to say that he was serious about the request, but once the Warriors kept moving the goalposts, he knew that they wanted him to stay.
Draymond Green Stayed With Golden State Warriors
The 36-year-old forward will enter his 15th season with the Warriors, who have been counted out due to their aging roster. He finished the 2025-26 season averaging 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while playing 27.5 minutes per game.
Despite the aging Golden State roster, the team has a chance to make noise in the 2026-27 season with all the offseason moves. At the time of his sign-and-trade request, the Grizzlies had guard Ja Morant and forward Jaren Jackson Jr.
However, the roster is different with both players being traded and the team rebuilding. The Grizzlies will enter the 2026-27 season with a new face of the franchise and a head coach entering his second full season.
Memphis Grizzlies Begin Cameron Boozer Era
Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo will have a chance to start a new era in Memphis. After his first full season, his overall coaching record with Memphis is 29-62.
Iisalo inherited the roster after former coach Taylor Jenkins was fired toward the end of the season in 2025. The Grizzlies will begin the 2026-27 season without Morant and Jackson, and forward Cameron Boozer will be the new face of the franchise.
The Grizzlies have been projected to finish 31-51 this season. Their progress will depend heavily on contributions from their young players and center Zach Edey being able to develop while remaining healthy.
The team's front office has emphasized the importance of building a physically and mentally tough identity with positional versatility.
Memphis will host the Utah Jazz, welcoming back former forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who was traded in February 2026, and they will host guard Desmond Bane in the preseason. Bane was the first major player to be traded from the Grizzlies core.
Despite being in a rebuild, the expected starting lineup could feature guard Ty Jerome, guard Jaylen Wells, forward Cedric Coward, Boozer and center Edey.
