Warriors forward Draymond Green makes wild claim of Knicks' star's contract emulation

Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green has been happy to publicly declare details regarding his contract negotiations last offseason, having ultimately re-signed with the franchise on a four-year, $100 million deal.

Following Klay Thompson's departure to the Dallas Mavericks at the start of the month, Green revealed his own plans to depart last year which included calling Thompson, Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr to tell them he was heading to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has suggested Jalen Brunson followed in his footsteps in taking a contract discount

Recently speaking to Jeff Teague on the Club 520 podcast, the 34-year-old has now claimed he took a significant pay-cut in re-signing with the Warriors last offseason. Discussing Jalen Brunson's notable recent discount on his extension with the New Yorks Knicks, Green suggested the star point guard "did the Draymond Green thing."

“If I waited, I could’ve gotten four for [$180 million], but I needed to lock my money in. I’d rather lock that [$100 million] in to know that I have that [$100 million] – chasing that extra [$60 million] or [$80 million] and then I don’t get it. I just wasn’t willing to take that risk.”

Green was right to take the four-year, $100 million deal at the start of free agency because honestly, who was giving him $45 million per season? Despite all his brilliance which has included four All-Star appearances, four championships, a Defensive Player of the Year title and eight All-Defensive Team selections, Green has never made more than the $25 million average salary he's currently making.

Giving the 12-year veteran anything more than $100 million would have been ill-advised, particularly given Green's string of infamous incidents over the past two years that started before the contract (Jordan Poole training camp altercation), before stemming to last season where he was suspended for two separate incidents involving Rudy Gobert and Jusuf Nurkic.

Yet beyond those incidents, you could still argue Green is well worth the contract. He continues to be one of the Warriors most important and valuable players, with the team having recorded a 33-22 (.600) win-loss record with him in the lineup last season, and a 13-14 (0.481) record in the 27 games he was absent.