Draymond Green had some big decisions to make this offseason and he has chosen to decline his $27.5 million player option to become a free agent.
It doesn’t necessarily mean he is leaving the Golden State Warriors, of course, and Adrian Wojnarowski expects Green to re-sign with the team. Marc Spears had also spoken to Draymond after their season ended and he revealed that Green really wants to stay with the Warriors.
“I talked to him after the last game,” Spears said on NBA Today. “And here was this quote that gave me that stood out. He said, ‘I’ve been here 11 years, you don’t just up and change that. The guys that I started with are still here. Of course, I’d love to be here but I do understand that this is a business.'”
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It is an often overlooked fact that it’s not easy to just leave an organization after spending so many years there. That’s especially the case when you have had a lot of success and built some great relationships in that time, as Green has. New GM Mike Dunleavy did state that re-signing Draymond is their top priority, so you’d think that the business side of things wouldn’t be a major stumbling block.
Draymond Green’s Importance To The Warriors
While Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant have stolen the headlines for much of Green’s 11 seasons with the Warriors, all that success wouldn’t have been possible without Green.
He was the biggest reason why the Warriors had been one of the best defensive teams during their dynastic run, as he was their anchor. Even this past season, he was the one keeping their defense somewhat together, as he made the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
His numbers were once again nothing to write home about, as he only averaged 8.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 0.8 BPG, but he was still quite impactful. No one knows his importance more than the Warriors themselves, with head coach Steve Kerr saying they won’t be a championship-caliber team without him.
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