How much is Draymond Green worth to the Warriors? We will find out in the next two years.
Marcus Thompson and Anthony Slater of The Athletic wrote a detailed breakdown of the financial situation brewing for Golden State in the near future, as Green, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson are all candidates for hefty extensions.
The entire story is worth a read if you have a subscription, but the information on Green was particularly interesting.
According to The Athletic, Green is seeking a max contract extension that could amount to a four-year, $138.4 million commitment from the Warriors. Per the report, Golden State has "no plans to offer Green a maximum extension," who would be 37 by the time the hypothetical extension expires. Green currently has two years left on his deal, making $25.8 million this season and a scheduled $27.6 player option for next season.
You can understand why the Warriors would be hesitant to shell out a max contract to Green, who is limited as a scorer and dealt with a back issue last year which kept him out for two months, perhaps a sign that Father Time is catching up to the 32-year-old.
You can also understand why Green is asking for a max contract, as his contributions to the team are immeasurable in terms of defense, leadership and ramping up his teammates’ toughness. He and Thompson have the best playoff winning percentage of all-time (.703). Green is a big-picture thinker and I wouldn’t be surprised if he factors in his value to the Warriors’ brand in his reported desire for a max contract. Don’t forget, the Warriors committed a max deal to Klay after he tore his ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals.
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The Warriors spent more than $360 million on last year’s payroll and governor Joe Lacob told The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami this offseason that $400 or $500 million would be excessive, even for him. The big-spending Warriors would need an estimated $564 million to keep all four guys around for the 2023-24 season at market-rate deals.
So, something has to give. Call it a hometown discount or a dynasty discount, but the players might have to take a relative pay cut to keep the gang all together.
The Athletic notes that an extension for Wiggins is most likely. It appears Poole has played himself into the $25-$30 million range given the market for shooting guards this offseason. Thompson, as noted, made $106.1 million while playing just 32 regular season games the past three seasons, so he could be a candidate for a discounted deal.
The championship glow still surrounds the franchise, but the front office has some big decisions looming.
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