Warriors' Draymond Green extension leaves the door open for a controversial move

The Golden State Warriors have officially given Draymond Green his payday.

Ultimately, they decided to match the one-year, $27.7 million he would've been due had he picked up his player option for 2026-27. Although he declined it to open the door for the Warriors to join the LeBron James sweepstakes, James' ultimate decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers left a hole in the cap sheet to be filled.

The Warriors ultimately had no choice other than to funnel that money back to Green. While it limits their remaining financial flexibility this offseason, it was the right thing to do for a franchise legend.

But notably, Golden State didn't extend Green an explicit no-trade clause on his new deal— something he was eligible for as a veteran with more than four consecutive years of experience with the same team. Although it's rare in the NBA, it wouldn't have been entirely shocking if Green had gotten such a stipulation on his deal.

But by not including it, the Warriors have left the door open for what will inevitably be a polarizing debate. Is it worth it to move Green this season if it means pairing Stephen Curry with another star?

Draymond Green isn't likely to be traded— but the door remains open even after his extension

Green, for the first time in his 14-season tenure in Golden State, was included in trade talks at this past deadline. Granted, it was involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, and virtually any player across the league was on the board in these discussions.

But it was a stark move from the Warriors front office, showing that, given the right set of circumstances, Green could be made available.

This was exacerbated by the fact that Green's production on both ends of the floor saw a steady decline in 2025-26. Across 68 games, he averaged just 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 41.8% from the field. Although he still had his moments as a highly cerebral defender, it was clear he'd lost a step athletically on that end of the court as well.

Finding a home for Green's $27.7 million salary would be difficult— but not impossible. Green would have the right to refuse or approve any trade the Warriors could line up (i.e, an implicit no-trade clause), per Bobby Marks at ESPN.

At the end of the day, trading Green feels like a remote possibility. His history with the organization— and with most of the league, at that— is too threaded with controversy for this to be a simple matter. Any deal would need to satisfy Green's requirements, if he has any, for his next home.

But in an offseason where flexibility has been the name of the game for Golden State, they've managed to maintain a degree of it while giving Green his payday. Green will be trade-eligible on December 15.

Let the speculation run wild in the meantime.

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