Many were surprised when Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green decided to opt out of his $27.6 million contract for next season. Many just assumed he’d opt in and the Warriors would have to deal with it or potentially even trade him, but he chose the selfless route in order to give the Warriors more flexibility to make some moves.
It was a noble act, but it may only end up breaking the hearts of Warriors fans if the team is unable to make a big move like landing LeBron James or trading for Trey Murphy III.
Draymond Green may have only got hopes up with contract decision
There was so much excitement after Green made the decision because it seemed like the Warriors had something big cooking behind the scenes. That no longer seems to be the case as they have chosen to just bring back a lot of their same players from last season, and seem to be content to run it back if they have to. There’s still a chance they could land James, but he does not seem to be leaning towards Golden State based on recent reporting.Â
Shams says the Warriors are NOT looked at as the top team on LeBron’s list:
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) July 3, 2026
“So much has changed. There’s fluidity that comes with it. A few days ago the Sixers didn’t have Jaylen Brown so now they do. Now they have to be on the radar of LeBron James. The Cavs, the Heat, their… pic.twitter.com/B6moONep4C
If James does end up signing elsewhere, that doesn’t mean Green’s sacrifice was pointless since he at least gave the Warriors some options. Yet the fact remains that it gave everyone hope they could make a big splash, but it may not end up leading to anything significant.
Green deserves credit no matter what. Many would have just taken the money on the table, but he was willing to make a team-oriented move. Say whatever you will about the fiery forward, he's forefront loyal and cares about the Warriors deeply.
Golden State need to make sure they reward him for that selflessness when they do re-sign him to a deal. Signing him to a two-year contract would make a lot of sense, aligning his deal with head coach Steve Kerr and presumably Stephen Curry who's extension eligible later in the offseason.
Green may not be the same player he once was and a slight pay cut is in order, but the Warriors still need to take care of him after everything he’s done for the franchise. Plus, if Golden State aren’t going to be a real contender, they might as well have Green around for the last few years as this dynasty fades out for good.
It was a noble act from Green but with the way things are trending, it may have been for naught if the Warriors just end up running it back entering next season.
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