The Golden State Warriors just re-signed Draymond Green to a one-year, $27.7 million deal. The Warriors lost the LeBron James sweepstakes, and now they are heading into the year with their three best players on expiring deals. Green’s contract creates a world in which the Warriors shed a ton of salary next summer and begin the post-Stephen Curry era.
Not only is Green on an expiring deal heading into next year, but Curry and Jimmy Butler are, too. That means, if the Warriors wanted to play their cards this way, they could theoretically get off all three contracts at the same time. Losing Curry and Green for nothing would be a disaster, but in theory, they would be able to start almost completely fresh next summer.
Signing Green to a one-year deal isn’t ideal for the Curry era, but it could help the Warriors move on from him and the rest of their older core very easily.
Draymond Green deal gives Warriors a path to move on from Stephen Curry era
Right now, if Curry doesn’t end up signing an extension with the Warriors this summer, the most expensive (guaranteed) contract on the roster for the 2027-28 season would be Moses Moody’s $13.4 million.
Kristaps Porzingis has a team option for that season, set at $20 million, but the Warriors could easily decline it and move on from him, too. They could have more flexibility than any team in the NBA next summer.
Again, losing Curry for nothing would be a disaster. It’s far more likely that the Warriors trade Curry than simply let him walk in free agency. But the point is, they are set up perfectly to move on from the Curry era next summer.
It would be a clean break. A chance to start fresh in Golden State with a ton of financial wiggle room to plan for the next era of Warriors basketball beyond the Curry years.
Perhaps they would have to take on some money in the deal in which they move Curry, but still, that would leave them a ton of flexibility outside of that package.
Green’s money would be gone. Butler’s money would be gone. Porzingis’ money could be gone if they wanted to decline his option. They could even decline Al Horford’s $7.2 million team option.
If they so choose, the Warriors now have an easy pathway to moving on from the Curry era. Green signing a one-year deal gives them that opportunity.
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