The Golden State Warriors have never had to worry about the quality that Draymond Green provides. Questions have occasionally been raised about how he fits next to specific players, but Steve Kerr elevated him to the starting lineup in 2014-15 and he's been a pillar of the franchise ever since.
Fast forward to 2025-26, however, and the Warriors must answer a question they've never encountered before: Are they a better team without Green?
The timing couldn't be worse for this potential revelation, as Green will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this coming summer. It's certainly possible that he'll accept his $27,678,571 player option, but at 36 years of age, he may be looking for multi-year security in a new deal.
In that scenario, the Warriors must sincerely ask whether or not bringing him back makes sense beyond the legacy he's amassed during his time with the franchise.
Green is still an excellent defender who earned All-Defensive First Team recognition as recently as 2024-25. He's also still one of the best playmaking bigs in the NBA, providing invaluable court vision, passing, and general leadership in the process of initiating and running the offense.
What the numbers are beginning to show, however, is that the Warriors are a significantly better team when Green isn't on the court.
Are the Warriors a better team without Draymond Green?
Thus far in 2025-26, Golden State is being outscored by 2.6 points per 100 possessions when Green is on the court. By comparison, it's outscoring opponents by 3.7 points per 100 possessions—a 6.3-point swing in a less than ideal direction.
To make matters worse, the only player without whom the Warriors have posted a better net rating this season is Buddy Hield—who was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis.
According to Cleaning the Glass, the Warriors are outscoring opponents by 5.8 points per 100 possessions when Green and Stephen Curry are on the court together. That's the ultimate counterpunch in this fight to determine if Golden State should re-sign the former Defensive Player of the Year.
Unfortunately, the Warriors have been outscored by 13.6 points per 100 possessions when Green is on the court and Curry isn't—with a massive sample size of 1,006 possessions.
There's clearly something to be said about the quality and structure of the Warriors' roster, as well as the injuries the team has endured. With Curry soon to turn 38 and Jimmy Butler 36 and recovering from a torn ACL, however, investing in another 35-and-over player whose fit has become questionable is a tough sell with free agency nearing.
Curry and Green still work as a dynamic duo, but with the knowledge that the Warriors struggle without the former on the court, it certainly seems as though they're better without Green.