The Golden State Warriors appear to be proceeding with their dynastic core intact. As reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania and others on the opening day of free agency, June 30, the Dubs and big man Draymond Green have come to an agreement on a four-year deal worth $100 million.
Green’s new contract includes a player option in year four, a major win for the 33-year-old in the negotiations. However, his club is benefitting from the new pact, too.
In exchange for the option and the lengthy deal, the Warriors got Green at a lower dollar amount per annum than they would have otherwise. Had Green opted in for the final year of his previous deal, he would have been owed a cool $27.6 million next season.
Now, he’ll come in with a starting salary in the neighborhood of $22.3 million; that $5.3 million difference actually equates to around $43 million in repeater luxury tax savings for Golden State next season.
By Keeping Draymond Green, the Warriors Have Kept Themselves in the Mix
For a team that retained its key players and was relatively healthy for the postseason run, the Warriors’ push for a second-straight NBA championship in 2022-23 left a whole lot to be desired.
Had Green flown the coop for the Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons or any of what would have been a number of interested parties this summer, the team’s fall from grace would almost certainly have continued into next season. Even at this late stage in his career, the four-time All-Star makes the Warriors exponentially better.
In 73 games for the Dubs during the regular season, Green averaged 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists per contest; he was one of just six players in the whole of the Association to log an 8-7-6 line in 2022-23. Green also posted a career-best effective field-goal percentage of 57.0.
Meanwhile, his impact on the scoreboard alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson was considerable.
When those three players shared the court (a sample size of more than 1,000 minutes), the Warriors outscored opponents by 8.3 points per 100 possessions. And his individual net rating of 7.0 was the best mark teamwide among rotation regulars.
So, with their core still in place, the Warriors have a fighting chance to keep the dynasty rolling for another year or more.
Ty Jerome Signs Offer Sheet With East Contender
Per a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday, combo guard Ty Jerome — who appeared in 45 games for the Warriors and averaged 6.9 PPG and 3.0 APG last season — has signed an offer sheet with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
That deal is said to be worth $5 million over two years for the four-year veteran.
The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported on June 29th that the Warriors had extended a qualifying offer to Jerome, making him a restricted free agent. Consequently, the Warriors have two days to match the signed offer sheet. However, multiple reports have indicated that Jerome is, indeed, heading to the Cavs, and those repeater tax penalties are clearly a factor.
Wrote Slater on the situation:
Warriors extended Jerome qualifying offer, making him restricted free agent, but Cleveland can structure deal out of Warriors’ match range. Cost plus years made it so GSW had no plan to match.
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Warriors, Draymond Green Lock Down Win-Win Deal in Free Agency