Besides the predicament of retaining both Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, or one of them, the Golden State Warriors might be facing another issue with one of their best players, Draymond Green. The veteran big man is coming off a great season where he helped his team win another championship.
With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson already locked with big deals, Draymond wants to follow through, but it seems like the Warriors have different plans. According to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, the 4x NBA champion wants to get a new max extension with the Dubs.
“Green, according to sources, wants and believes he deserves a maximum contract extension from the Warriors. Aug. 3 is when he is eligible to sign a four-year deal. That is his desired length.
“After playing like the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner before injury shortened his regular season, after helping lead the Warriors to a fourth championship in eight seasons, Green is convinced the core of the Warriors’ dynasty is worth every possible penny, and that definitely includes him.”
However, the Warriors seem to be reluctant to offer what he’s looking for and prefer to wait before re-signing Green to a new deal.
All indications, though, are that the Warriors have no plans to offer Green a maximum extension, and there isn’t any current traction on any type of extension. The typical pattern of this Golden State front office is to extend with one year remaining. Even Stephen Curry waited until one year remained before signing his max extension last offseason. Green has two years remaining on the maximum extension he signed in 2019. While he could opt out a year earlier, the Warriors’ current preference is to talk extension with Green next summer.
But, here’s the problem: if the Dubs don’t give Draymond the type of contract he wants, the player would be willing to look for different options to continue his NBA career.
While his desire is to remain with the Warriors, Green is said to be willing to explore his outside options to get the kind of contract he wants. That’s a risk Warriors’ management appears willing to take. Green playing this season with a chip on his shoulder, motivated by proving to the league he deserves a max contact, could have a positive on-court impact.
It would be weird to see Green wearing another jersey in the NBA, but everything can change in the association in a blink. Kevin Durant requesting a trade from the Nets is a big proof of that, and perhaps Draymond could use that same tactic if he doesn’t feel good with the Warriors’ mindset. This would be shocking, but you never know what could happen next in this league.
