Has Draymond Played His Last Game With The Warriors?
Without a doubt, Draymond Green’s contributions were vital to the Golden State Warriors’ championship last season. He may not be the team’s leading scorer but he provides energy on both sides of the court and can get under opponents skin like few others. It’s safe to say, Draymond is the straw that stirs the drink of the Warriors.
However, Green has also caused his fair share of problems for Steve Kerr and company. His suspension in Game Five of the 2016 NBA Finals became the turning point for the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers to come back from a 3-1 series deficit. Many people also believe it was largely Green who drove away Kevin Durant from the Warriors in 2019.
And now, he may have punched his ticket out of Golden State. Quite literally.
Future Unclear for Green
For those who may not be aware, Draymond Green’s future with the Warriors was already questionable to begin with. And that was before he threw a punch at Jordan Poole during a practice session.
The former Michigan St. alum was hoping to sign a new max contract extension with the Warriors this offseason, a proposition the team has been hesitant to accept. While many believe Green deserves a max contract for his contributions over the years, the Warriors still haven’t officially sat down with Green at the negotiation table.
Green will play out 2022-23 on a $25.8M deal, but then has a player option to opt out at season’s end. Should he exercise his option, which seems increasingly unlikely given his age and decreasing stat lines, he would play 2023-24 on a $27.5M deal before becoming a UFA.
Part of the reason why the Warriors are unlikely to grant Green’s wish for a max contract extension is that he isn’t the only player who’s in line for a pay raise. The Warriors also need to decide on the future of Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and the aforementioned Jordan Poole.
Things were dicey at best in terms of the 32 year old’s future in the Bay Area. Then, Green threw a punch- a punch that may have sealed his fate.
Since then, Green admitted his wrong doing and issued an apology to Poole- the NBA’s free throw percentage leader last season. The veteran forward has also stepped away from the team following the incident.
What Now?
Jordan Poole reportedly hasn’t forgiven Green for the punch, and it’s safe to say chemistry could be an issue out of the gates for the club. Ironic given the fact that one of the primary reasons why Golden State has been able to dominate as long as they have is because of their team chemistry.
Given Steve Kerr’s reaction about Poole’s play in the first preseason game since the incident, it seems Golden State may be ready to give Poole a contract extension sooner rather than later. “Struggling his first few months in the league. There’s a reason he’s in this position, about to sign a big extension hopefully,” Kerr told reporters.
If that’s the case, Draymond’s time with the Warriors may be coming to an end. While he initially wanted to remain in San Francisco, he also said he is willing to explore his options outside of the Bay to get the contract he desires.
The problem however is that Green will turn 33 in March of next year. His numbers haven’t been consistent. And then there’s the punch on Poole. While it’s hard to imagine a Warriors team without Draymond anchoring the defense, a business decision has to be made.
Keep in mind, the Warriors will pay Curry and Thompson 95 million dollars next season, and have been well into the luxury tax threshold for some time now.
Will the Warriors keep the core of Green, Thompson, and Steph Curry intact? Or should they start preparing Poole and Andrew Wiggins for a post “Big 3” era? That’s the conundrum GM Bob Myers currently faces out west.
And with the NBA’s regular season a week away, time isn’t a luxury Golden State currently has.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Keith Allison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.