Draymond Green is not currently a member of the Golden State Warriors.
That could merely be semantics, of course. Green is an unrestricted free agent, having declined his player option to hit the open market. He did that to aid the Warriors in their pursuit of LeBron James, a close friend of Green's who won a gold medal with Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr in 2024.
The Warriors felt they had a realistic chance at convincing James to sign with them, offering an elite basketball culture, proven championship players, an all-time star to pair with in Curry and proximity to his family in Los Angeles. In the end, however, James wanted to compete for a championship, and with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody sidelined by injury that was not going to be the Warriors.
James instead chose the Philadelphia 76ers, tying himself to the injury-prone Joel Embiid and a roster full of on-ball stars. The basketball fit compared to playing with Curry, Green and stretch bigs is extremely questionable, but it was the one that LeBron made. The Warriors now have to move forward.
Green will probably return to the Warriors
It seems very likely that the Warriors will bring Green back. He has only ever played for Golden State after they stole him in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft. He has won four titles, is a four-time All-Star, and among his nine All-Defense selections he won Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 -- and probably deserved to do so another time or two. He is a core part of the Warriors' dynasty and the fabric of the team.
The Athletic reported early Saturday morning that, per their sources, Green is expected to re-sign with the Warriors on a contract starting around $28 million, roughly in line with the player option he declined. If the chaos of the NBA has taught us anything, however, it is that nothing is official until it is complete.
This moment in time allows Green to do exactly what LeBron just did: consider his options. If he wants to stay where he is comfortable, playing with Curry and (eventually) Butler, then he'll come back just as everyone expects.
What if he wants something else? What if the ultimate "16 game player" in Green decides what he wants most of all is to compete for championships? That may not happen with the Warriors.
Draymond could look elsewhere
James and Green were presumably in contact over the last 24 days. Could James be recruiting Green to join him in Philadelphia? What about his hometown Detroit Pistons, who could use another power forward and need some championship pedigree as they look to win in the playoffs. The Miami Heat? The Minnesota Timberwolves?
Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports mused on Friday that Green doesn't have to automatically return to the Warriors. The future Hall of Famer could decide to move on. He has considered doing so in the past, including a well-discussed dalliance with the Memphis Grizzlies years ago. The Warriors, for their part, have also considered trading Green multiple times. His indiscretions are almost as long as his list of awards and accolades.
Draymond Green has a big decision to make next.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) July 24, 2026
Do you return to Golden State? Get paid, stay loyal to Steph, but the front office tried trading you 5 months ago and won't hesitate to do so again.
Or do you look around at other teams? Follow LeBron to Philly on a minimum,…
The Warriors want to bring Green back, if only to maintain his salary slot for a big trade down the line. Green now holds the power, however. In Golden State, he gets paid and continues his legacy; somewhere else, he may not get the same money, but he gets a chance to cement himself as the ultimate winner, going after a championship without Curry and the Warriors organization. It writes a different kind of legacy.
Green may announce he is returning any moment now. The longer he doesn't, however, the more likely it becomes that he is considering his options. And for a Warriors team without any real path to replacing everything he brings, it would be a second body blow to their chances at competing this season. Losing LeBron and then, as a result, losing Green? That's the nightmare scenario.
First, it was Klay Thompson. Could it now be Draymond Green? And what does that mean for the final years of Curry's career?
These are questions the Warriors don't want to be asking. For now, Green holds the cards.
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