Draymond Green is back in Golden State on a one-year, $27.7 million deal, and the timing of LeBron James’s decision to sign with the 76ers helped shape how that return came together.
Green had turned down his player option for the same amount to give the Warriors financial room to chase James. That gamble ended with James choosing Philadelphia on Friday, landing on a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option for the second season. James’s move was about chasing a fifth title with a fourth different franchise, and he saw the 76ers - with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe - as his best path.
Golden State had been viewed as a serious landing spot for James, who could have paired with Stephen Curry and Green for one last championship push. Green addressed the decision on his podcast and said he did not think James could get past the history of their long rivalry on the court.
For the Warriors, the miss on James is just the latest swing that didn’t connect. The franchise had also gone after Brown, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis. Green’s opt-out was part of the team’s effort to clear a path for James and Davis, but with James in Philly and the Wizards showing no interest in trading Davis, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz, Green is back on the same contract he walked away from last month.
That leaves Golden State still searching for answers in a summer that has kept the roster in flux. The Warriors are trying to make the most of what remains of Curry’s career, and they need to improve if they want to keep pace with teams like the Thunder and the Spurs in the Western Conference. James would have helped with that, and maybe even changed Green’s future beyond this season.
Green’s place in the organization has still not kept him out of trade chatter. Even with 14 seasons and four championships in Golden State, he has come up in rumors over the past year as the Warriors have tried to upgrade around Curry.
After Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in January, the team had a chance to make a move at the deadline and salvage the season. They traded for Kristaps Porziņģis and were involved in discussions about Antetokounmpo before the Bucks held onto their star until the offseason.
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. was unwilling to move Butler and the salary that would have helped make a star trade work, which pushed Green into the rumor mill by extension. Green’s $25.9 million salary last season was a major piece of the kind of outgoing money Golden State would have needed in a blockbuster deal.
Once Green declined his option, both sides waited on James before finalizing the new agreement. ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported the one-year, $27.7 million contract on Tuesday. Charania also said that if James had picked the Warriors, Green could have landed a longer deal at a lower annual salary.
“If [the Warriors] had gotten LeBron James, Draymond Green potentially was in line for a three-year deal at about $20 million per year,” Charania said on NBA Today. “The Warriors struck out, now they bring Draymond Green back on the same deal.
This becomes basically a one-year, prove-it type deal. It sets up a major season for Draymond Green.”
Green was also eligible for a no-trade clause under the league’s criteria, since he was signing as a free agent, has more than eight seasons of NBA experience and has spent at least four seasons with the Warriors. But ESPN reported that his contract does not include one.
He still has no-trade protection for the rest of the league year because he signed with his previous team on a one-year deal. That means he would have to approve any trade, and if he did, he would lose his Bird rights. In other words, Green still has control if Golden State tries to move him.
The Warriors now move forward trying to fill out the roster with veteran minimum signings. Longer term, Curry, Green and Butler are all on expiring contracts, giving Golden State a chance to open up major cap space next summer. Charania reported that Curry and the Warriors have mutual interest in an extension in August.
With Curry expected to stay, next season becomes a pivotal one for the franchise. Golden State will also be positioned as a likely player for the next major star to hit the market.
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