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Rich Paul says Draymond Green was never headed to the Philadelphia 76ers to reunite with LeBron James, ending one of the louder rumors of the NBA offseason.
Green Was Never Bound for Philadelphia
The idea of Draymond Green following LeBron James to the Philadelphia 76ers gained traction after James announced his move on July 24.
Green was still a free agent at the time, and his close relationship with James made the theory easy to sell. According to their agent, it was also completely wrong.
Speaking on the Game Over podcast, Rich Paul said there was no chance of the pair teaming up in Philadelphia. He explained that any reunion would have happened with the Golden State Warriors, not the Sixers.
That answer closes the door on a scenario that briefly gave fans and bettors another major roster twist to consider. Philadelphia had already landed James, and adding Green would have further changed the outlook around both conferences.
Green Tried to Bring LeBron to Golden State
Draymond Green had explored a reunion with LeBron James, just in the opposite direction.
He declined a $27.7 million player option on June 29, giving Golden State more room to work during the offseason. Green later said he had pitched James on joining the Warriors while the two were golfing together.
The recruitment effort went nowhere. James chose Philadelphia, while Green eventually returned to Golden State on a one-year deal worth $27.7 million.
For Warriors backers, the outcome offers some stability. Green remains alongside Stephen Curry, while Golden State avoids losing one of the central figures from its championship era.
Why LeBron Passed on San Antonio
Rich Paul also addressed why LeBron James did not seriously consider the San Antonio Spurs.
The Spurs appeared to offer an attractive basketball setup. They had a young roster coming off an NBA Finals appearance, a need at power forward and Victor Wembanyama at the centre of the franchise.
Paul said joining San Antonio could have disrupted the team’s existing structure and Wembanyama’s development. He also suggested that winning a title with an already established contender would not have carried the meaning James wanted from his next move.
The explanation paints James’ decision as more than a simple chase for another ring. Philadelphia offered a different challenge, while San Antonio and Golden State were left to continue with their current cores.
