The Golden State Warriors are coming up on the most important offseason of this era.
As Stephen Curry enters the final year of his contract, the pressure will be higher than ever to deliver him a roster worthy of championship contention. With little financial wiggle room, the Warriors will have to navigate a number of tightropes in order to accomplish this goal. They frankly cannot afford a single mistake.
The most important of these decisions will involve Draymond Green's player option. From a certain perspective, it makes perfect sense to move on from him no matter how unfortunate that would be. Green's offensive production has steadily declined over the past few seasons, and his defensive impact no longer makes up for what Golden State sacrifices by having him on the floor.
Green will be owed close to $28 million next season if he picks up his option.
If Green is not willing to re-negotiate his contract, the best thing for the organization to do could be to move on from him. But if they choose to take that route, the Warriors must be aware of the reality that faces them next season.
Not only will it likely be impossible to replicate Green's defensive impact through trade or free agency, but Golden State could be ironically forced to play much smaller as a result of his departure.
Warriors will be sacrificing a crucial part of their identity if they let Draymond Green go
Green's results this season, to say the least, have been rough. Against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, he posted just seven points, six rebounds, and six assists, while the team went -30 in his minutes on the court.
It's clear that he's lost a step with age. If Golden State wants to assemble a championship-worthy roster, it might be time to find a new option in their frontcourt.
But, even if they re-sign Kristaps Porzingis on a cheap contract to take over duties at center, options at power forward in free agency could be limited. Tobias Harris will almost certainly return to the Detroit Pistons. Harrison Barnes is a veteran presence, but his recent relegation to the bench in San Antonio does not bode well for his continued production.
Perhaps the Warriors are able to re-sign De'Anthony Melton or bring in a wing to fill in next to Jimmy Butler. A lineup of Stephen Curry, Moses Moody, Melton, Butler, and Porzingis would certainly be offensively potent.
But the unavoidable fact is that this entire era for Golden State has, in part, been defined by Green's defensive presence. The Warriors must be prepared to face a new reality if they choose to let him go this offseason.