The Golden State Warriors have a decision to make on Draymond Green's contract this offseason.
He has a player option valued at roughly $27.7 million for 2026-27, the final year of the extension he signed in the summer of 2023. While there's been buzz surrounding a potential departure as the Warriors attempt to put together a championship-contending roster in the final seasons of Stephen Curry's career, his return remains the most likely outcome.
Green is an integral piece of the organization. Even if his role changes, he will have a place on this team as long as the Curry era is still going. The problem is that, if Green picks up his player option, the Warriors will be left in a financially adverse situation heading into free agency.
Given the amount of holes they have on their roster and the absences of Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, this isn't an acceptable outcome. Thankfully, there are realistic solutions that will work for both parties.
The Athletic's John Hollinger, a former executive with the Memphis Grizzlies, outlined a potential one in his recent piece predicting the NBA's most notable player options this offseason:
"BORD$ values Green at just $13.7 million, but he has $27.7 million coming his way. He’s not turning it down unless there’s a better proposition out there. Thus, Green opting out and re-signing for two years at, say, $38 million total would give the Warriors a lot more breathing room for their other offseason goals." John Hollinger, The Athletic
There's an easily achievable solution for Draymond Green's contract, if he's willing to take a pay-cut
As Hollinger points out, Green isn't getting a better deal, at least in terms of short-term value, than his player option currently offers him. His play on both ends of the court took at least a modest step back in 2025-26. Across 68 games, he averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists while shooting 32.6% from beyond the arc. He finished 11th in voting for the Defensive Player of the Year Award, but it was clear he also lost a stride athletically last season.
But Green is still one of the smartest players in the league. By bringing Steve Kerr back, the Warriors have committed to playing out the Curry era to its very end. Green undeniably has a place in that.
He has also routinely showed he has a commitment to this organization and to the team as a whole. It's unlikely he wants to spend the end of his career anywhere else.
The Warriors, more than anything, need consistent and impactful rotational contributors this offseason. Kristaps Porzingis is an unrestricted free agent, and Al Horford's return is in question as the veteran center faces his own player option. De'Anthony Melton also has a player option that he seems likely to decline this offseason. Beyond that, Gary Payton II, Seth Curry, Pat Spencer, and Quinten Post will also hit the market in some form.
If they let Melton and Horford walk while bringing Green back on the deal Hollinger suggests, it would free up roughly $20 million. They can then either extend Porzingis or distribute that money across one or two minor signings.
If Green picks up his player option for next season, that money is immediately cut in half, and the Warriors would still have just seven players under contract at that point. Hollinger's solution, therefore, is a fair one, and it's a balance Golden State must try to strike this offseason.
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