Report: Warriors willing to match offers for Green, won't move Lee until summer
Tap here to access our NBA Trade Deadline tracker, which includes the latest transactions and rumors.
Golden State Warriors fans who felt a tinge of panic when Draymond Green was linked to his hometown Detroit Pistons on Tuesday can breathe easy for the time being.
While Green can't explore his market until he's a restricted free agent this summer, demand is expected to be robust, with teams ready to test the Warriors' willingness to match an offer sheet.
Green, who grew up in Michigan and played at Michigan State, is said to want to stay in Golden State but is amenable to returning home, where the Pistons would love to have him, according to Tuesday's report.
No matter the interest and however high the market may rise, the Warriors aren't intent on losing Green, who has emerged as a versatile two-way threat. Pricey though it may prove, the Warriors are prepared to match any offer sheet Green signs, according to Marcus Thompson of Bay Area News Group.
With Green set to command more than $12 million annually, perhaps even as much as the $15.5-million annual payday teammate Klay Thompson received in October, the Warriors could find themselves in need of some salary gymnastics.
To avoid paying the luxury tax next season, Golden State may need to unload David Lee, something they won't do ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, instead preferring to hold off such a move until they absolutely have to make it.
There are other, more complicated ways of avoiding the tax without moving Lee, but such actions would risk the team's depth for next season. There's also the possibility the Warriors pay the tax for a single season in 2015-16, after which Lee comes off the books and the salary cap is set to rise significantly.
A one-year luxury tax hit could be worth paying for a two-year-plus championship window.
In any case, it doesn't appear as if a strong market for Green will push him out of Oakland, it just stands to complicate matters for the bookkeepers.