Warriors: Draymond Green needs to improve before getting max extension
Draymond Green wants a max contract extension.
Green thinks he’s owed that money, and while some can argue his defensive leadership is enough and was a key reason for the Warriors’ NBA Championship run, his lacking scoring is a glaring flaw in the former Defensive Player of the Year’s game.
The Golden State Warriors and Draymond Green are not on the same page in terms of a contract extension. What could get them to see eye-to-eye?
Green is under contract and then has a player option the following season, making him eligible for an extension before Klay Thompson who has two guaranteed left years on his deal. Green doesn’t have to prove anything else.
The Warriors know his value, but he can certainly improve his case.
It should start with his shooting, and the four-time All-Star forward has had one of the oddest shooting declines in the NBA over the last several seasons. After a three-year hiatus as an All-Star, Green earned the appearance last season.
Green was once a decent three-point shooter but recently his main use has come from his intelligent playmaking and understanding of how to play off elite snipers like Thompson and two-time MVP Stephen Curry.
As for his shooting though, he was a 38% three-point shooter in the 2015-2016 season. That percentage went down for the next six straight seasons and finally started to rebound last year but still missed 30%.
Green did hit a career-high 52.5% from the field, so his attempts were more in his realm of expertise. Green’s assists were down from 8.9 per game the prior season. Green is pushing for an extension, likely in part due to his age as well.
The impact is there, but he’s 32 and will be 34 by the time the offseason of his contract would come around. A 34-year-old Green isn’t going to get a four-year extension over a player like Jonathan Kuminga.
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Losing Green shouldn’t be in the Warriors’ game plan, but if he can improve his shooting and get back to the best version of himself mixed with his high-IQ playmaking, there could be a reason to justify that contract above what he’s giving now.