The Golden State Warriors were always going to be stuck giving Draymond Green his full payday no matter what this offseason, assuming the LeBron James sweepstakes didn't go their way.
Now, Green is back with the team on a one-year, $27.7 million extension that takes them above the first apron and severely limits their financial flexibility in the short-term. It's unreasonable to think they would've taken any other path, but it's not unreasonable to lament the sheer amount of space they've granted to Green on their cap sheet.
Green's days of providing that sort of value on either end of the court are long gone. He suffered on offense in 2025-26 with his co-contributors out, and his athleticism and range on the defensive end of the court are clearly waning.
There's no path for Green to provide $27.7 million in value to Golden State in 2026-27.
But if he can stave off his defensive regression for one more season, helping to anchor the Warriors' attack on that end of the court and keep them afloat for large portions of the regular season, he might come close to justifying the Warriors' decision.
Draymond Green needs to be the anchor of the Warriors' defense again— even if he's no longer in his heyday
Green's days as a viable offensive contributor are likely gone. His efficiency dropped virtually across the board last season, and there were times where he was almost unplayable on that end of the court. Across 68 games, he averaged just 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 41.8% from the field— his worst mark since 2019-20.
With a deeper roster and more flexibility in the frontcourt, there would be room that argue that Green is better-suited for a bench role at this point in his career. But the Warriors have no real options at this point. Green has to start, and he has to make the most of this season.
He's still one of the smartest and most anticipatory players in the league on the defensive end of the court. While he posted a -2.6 offensive estimated plus-minus last season, per Dunks & Threes, his 0.8 defensive estimated plus-minus still kept him in company with players like Pascal Siakam and PJ Washington.
But his athleticism has clearly declined, and he's no longer capable of being the defensive engine for the Warriors alone. He'll have Yaxel Lendeborg and Kristaps Porzingis to complement him, though, and that should be a major boon.
The Warriors, in one sense, have to accept Green's contract number for 2026-27 as a sunk cost. But they can't afford for him to fall off a cliff entirely. If he can still provide value on the defensive end of the court and serve as a veteran leader for Lendeborg and Santos, then there is still value he can provide to the Warriors as an on-court presence.
In short, Green's path to justifying his $27.7 million payday, in any sense of the word, lies through his defensive acumen and veteran experience.
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