NBA Notes: Warriors, Draymond Green, Pelicans, Dejounte Murray, Clippers

Warriors

Draymond Green doesn’t sound like someone thinking about the end just yet.

Speaking with Mark Medina of EssentiallySports.com, Green said he believes he has “two to four years” left after this season and still feels capable of competing at a high level.

“I feel great. I feel like I can go another two to four years,” Green said. “I always want to try to compete at an elite level. If I can’t do that, then it’s not as fun. But I’ve got more left than I thought I would at this point.”

Green admitted his outlook has changed over time.

“I thought I’d get to Year 12 and I’d be breaking down,” he said. “But by the time I got there, I felt like I was still getting better.”

Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. also pushed back on reports that Green was being shopped before the deadline.

Green holds a $27.7 million player option for next season and must decide on it by June 29.

Pelicans

There’s still no firm return date for Dejounte Murray, but progress is being made.

Pelicans coach James Borrego said Murray has returned to practice in a limited capacity following last season’s Achilles tear, with activity expected to ramp up soon.

“It’s just great having him out there,” Borrego said. “What a devastating injury, but the way he’s handled it, the way he’s attacked it, he deserves a ton of credit. You can feel his presence, his leadership, his confidence. It’s a massive boost for this organization.”

Murray appeared in just 31 games after arriving from Atlanta last offseason. When he does return, he’ll be stepping into a very different backcourt following the departures of CJ McCollum and Jose Alvarado and the additions of Jordan Poole and rookie Jeremiah Fears.

Clippers

Change wasn’t optional in Los Angeles. That was the message from Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.

After moving James Harden, Ivica Zubac, and Chris Paul before the deadline, Frank acknowledged the difficulty but stood by the direction.

“As hard as these moves are, we are extremely excited about where we’re going,” Frank said. “We want to win now. We believe we are going to win now, and we’re going to do it while getting younger.”

Frank pointed to the reality of the standings and the roster’s age.

“We were the oldest team in the NBA. We were in ninth place,” he said. “We had to make some really, really hard decisions.”