The Golden State Warriors are desperate to get back into title contention. With Stephen Curry still playing close to an All-NBA level, they want to do right by him. That means doing everything they can to create a roster that can make a deep run.
In order to have that occur, the Warriors need to get a superstar. They are pursuing the trade market to see if they can get one. Of course, superstars don’t just grow on trees. They also have some players who have to make some decisions in free agency.
One of those players is Draymond Green. Green has to make a decision on his player option. According to an insider, it looks like he will accept that option.
Warriors Expect Draymond Green to Opt Into Contract
Green has a player option worth $27.6 million that has to be decided on by June 29. According to Anthony Slater of ESPN, the Warriors are expecting him to opt in. Golden State would prefer if he opted out so they could sign him to a long-term deal at a lower salary.
“Team sources have indicated for months that the Warriors’ interest in a decline-and-extend with Green for multiple years would be contingent on the first-year salary savings (from $27.6 million down into somewhere in the $20 million range) giving them a direct path to upgrade the roster elsewhere,” Slater wrote.
Despite that preference, it looks like Green will be opting into that deal.
“It’s possible something will materialize in the next two weeks that shifts the landscape, but the current expectation from the team is that Green will pick up his player option and return on an expiring one-year, $27.6 million deal,” Slater says.
Green is still a solid defender, although he’s not at the same level he used to be. Offensively, he is a shell of himself. That is why Green would opt into the contract, giving him more money. However, that does give the Warriors a chance to trade him as an expiring deal.
Golden State Could Consider Trading Draymond Green
If Green does opt into that one-year deal, he would become a trade asset. Whether or not the Warriors would actually consider trading one of the pillars of the franchise is another matter. He is one of the core players who helped the team win multiple championships.
The Warriors could wait until the deadline to see how Green plays when Jimmy Butler returns from his torn ACL. It doesn’t look like they will be able to land Giannis Antetokounmpo, nor does it look like the Clippers are willing to deal Kawhi Leonard.
With those facts in hand, the Warriors could decide to wait until the trade deadline to make a big move. They would be able to survey the landscape and decide which assets they are willing to part with. Mike Dunleavy Jr. will be the one making those decisions.
How much Dunleavy Jr. believes in Curry will be the driving force in those decisions. Golden State had the 19th-best offense in the league this season, and that was because Curry played just 43 games. He is still the straw that stirs Golden State’s drink
Draymond Green Expected to Make Major Warriors Financial Decision