Draymond Green to Dallas? How he could join the Mavericks this summer

Despite the Dallas Mavericks falling to 11th in the Western Conference and losing eight of their last 11 games, there is a new rumor about the team's summer plans.

This rumor is Draymond Green leaving the Golden State Warriors and joining Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic on the Dallas Mavericks.

Bill Simmons first teased this rumor on The Bill Simmons Podcast on Wednesday, but is it even possible?

Draymond Green to Dallas? How he could join the Mavericks this summer

Green could be what the Mavericks need, but turning this idea into a reality is more complicated than it seems. He has a player option this summer in Golden State, and his eventual departure could be inevitable per a reliable source.

That reliable source is Draymond Green himself.

Green opened up about the possibility of not being a Warrior for the rest of his career in an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks.

"Quite frankly, the writing's on the wall."

Draymond Green

Those were Green's first words when asked about the possibility of not being a Warrior one day. He went on to say that some players believe that a team owes them something because of what they have done for their respective team. Green disagrees with that mindset and understands that basketball is a business.

Green could leave Golden State this summer if he opts out of his contract or after next season if he opts in. Either way, Draymond Green could be in a new uniform soon.

Bill Simmons predicted Green's departure from Golden State to come sooner rather than later and that he would be playing for the Mavericks next season.

"I have my half baked idea/prediction for Draymond's next season. I think he ends up in Dallas. With Kyrie and with Luka."

Bill Simmons

Green would be the best defender on the team by a large margin and could help the Mavericks return to having a top-ten defense. He's also an elite passer at his position and would add another element to the Mavericks' offense as he could set up Doncic and Irving and be a vocal leader on defense.

Although this idea is intriguing, the Mavericks would have to move some pieces around this summer to create cap space to sign both Green and Irving.

After signing Irving to the expected max extension, the Mavericks would then have to throw a big contract at Green to pry him away from the Warriors. In order to do that, they'd probably have to find a way to move either Tim Hardaway Jr. or Davis Bertans to give them cap space or sign Green through a sign-and-trade with one of those players being involved.

Without shedding one of those contracts, the Mavericks have little to no flexibility if they re-sign Irving. If the Mavericks want to turn these rumors into a reality they have to cough up some money. And with the current cap situation with the team, this would be challenging.

Mavericks GM Nico Harrison has already proved that he's willing to make win-now moves, and signing Draymond Green could be the next one. Stay tuned to see if Dallas can pull off some magic this summer and pry Green away from the team that he has won four NBA Championships with while also moving one of their own cap-eating contracts.