Draymond Green has spent his entire 14-year career with the Golden State Warriors after he was drafted by the team out of Michigan in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft.

Green has become one of the most important figures in Warriors’ history, winning four NBA championships, being named Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, and making nine All-Defensive teams.

While Green and the Warriors have been in a long-term relationship, no long-term relationship is perfect, and there are always ups and downs, fights and makeups.

In 2023, Green and the Warriors nearly split, with Green potentially heading to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Green, 33 at the time, had just completed a four-year $99 million deal and was looking to cash in again.

The Grizzlies were looking for the spark to take the next step.

Speaking on the Draymond Green Show, Draymond provided insight into nearly joining the Grizzlies, saying they offered $10 million more than Golden State.

"In negotiations, you wanna have another team, you have to sometimes make it real to the team that, 'hey you got something else'... 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 and make it work for me?' and to the Warriors credit, they then went into negotiations with the Grizzlies and I will say, they moved the goalposts on the Grizzlies a bit, but once they moved the goalposts, it also was clear to me like 'they really want me here' and at that rate it's like 'let's go, let's get this done.”

Draymond ended up signing a four-year, $100 million deal with a player option with the Warriors.

By 2023, Draymond had already won four championships with the Warriors and secured his legacy with the team.

The Grizzlies were 51-31 the prior season, finishing second in the West. They lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.

They were a young team on the rise with Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, and Dillon Brooks. Had they added Draymond, depending on who they had to give up, they would’ve strengthened their squad and been a true threat in the West.

Instead, the Warriors did enough to show that they wanted to keep Draymond, and he remains today.

Draymond could’ve gone elsewhere this past season as well, but after declining his player option, he opted to re-sign on a one-year deal.