Draymond Green didn’t ask for a no-trade clause when he signed his one-year, $27.7 million extension with the Warriors, and he made it clear on his podcast why that was never a battle he felt was worth having.
On an episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” the 14-year Warriors veteran said the deal lined up with what he had already opted out of, especially after Golden State missed out on the kind of addition it had hoped to make in free agency.
“I pretty much re-signed, not pretty much, I did re-sign for the same amount that I opted out of. Obviously there was hope that we would land a guy with the mid-level slot that didn’t happen, so I opted back in a sense to my deal.
You know, there was kind of no other reason to not do that. So, shout out to the Dubs.”
Green also addressed the reporting around the contract language and said the no-trade issue never became a fight.
“It was reported that I did not receive the no-trade clause; no, I didn’t. I think it was something that we could have fought over, but it wasn’t worth fighting over,” Green said.
He went a step further, laying out how he views the business side of the league if Golden State ever decides to move on.
“You know, I think if the Warriors want to trade me at some point of the season, they want to trade me. I’ve never been a guy who wants to stay somewhere where I’m not wanted.”
“You know, as I’ve always spoken about, I think there is a partnership that if this works for us, it works. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. You know, and I never want to be that guy anyway.”
“So, to sit and fight over a no-trade clause, I don’t think it was worth it. It’s pointless. So, that wasn’t a thing,” Green concluded.
That stance fits with what had already been swirling around Green before the February trade deadline, when the Warriors were in talks with Milwaukee about a possible deal that would have sent him to the Bucks as part of a path toward bringing Giannis Antetokounmpo to San Francisco.
The deal never happened, but Green was aware of the noise and has since said he wouldn’t take it personally if the front office ever did decide to trade him. He understands the business end of basketball and knows those calls usually aren’t about feelings.
His return to Golden State also followed a strange stretch during LeBron James’ free agency, when Green was rumored to be weighing an exit to join James on the Cavaliers. Once James announced he was headed to the 76ers, Green confirmed a few days later that he was staying with the Warriors.
At 36, Green’s production from the 2025-26 season - 8.4 points, 5.5 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 41.8% from the field and 32.8% from three - doesn’t scream $27.7 million on the open market. But it does underline the balance at play here: Golden State has rewarded his years of service, and Green appears willing to accept that the franchise may need flexibility if it wants to improve.
Even with that openness, he still hopes the story ends with him retiring as a Warrior. He also acknowledged that may not be how the roster math works out if the team needs to make a move.
Looking ahead, the situation gets even more interesting with Green, Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler all expected to be unrestricted free agents next summer, setting up a pivotal summer for Golden State’s front office in 2027.
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