The Warriors made their first big move of the offseason last week when they traded Jordan Poole for Chris Paul in a shocking deal. Their next big move, Mike Dunleavy Jr.’s specifically, will be to re-sign Draymond Green.
The Paul move only makes sense if you retain Green. There was clearly an issue between Green and Poole that lingered throughout the 2022-23 season, and it affected Poole’s play while Green continued to play at a high level. The Warriors need Green, and losing him would go against the all-in approach they have clearly pivoted to this offseason.
Green is an unrestricted free agent after turning down a $27.5 million player option with the Warriors. It stands to reason he only did so because he can get a more lucrative deal on the open market.
Marcus Thompson of The Athletic believes that’s true, and projected what his next deal with Golden State might look like.
“I think it’s three years, and I think that’s probably the cap,” Marcus said on KNBR. “I think the Warriors are going to try to sell him on ‘you’re going to have to give us a little bit of money back so we can win a championship.’ Draymond has been in this situation at every point in his career where he’s taken a bit less than market value. So, I do feel like he may have to do that again.
“I’m saying somewhere between 3 and $85-$100 million is where I think it lands, just because I don’t think he can get more than that on the market. And the Warriors aren’t going to pay over the market for him. Even Sacramento can’t give him $34 [million], they’ve still got to extend Domantas Sabonis and they might want to keep a few guys. All of that money isn’t just money for Draymond.”
Though the Warriors are well over the salary cap, they can still re-sign Green because of his “Bird Rights”, a cap exception that makes it easier for teams to keep their players. They will have to pay tax penalties on whatever money they give Green, however, so there is a limit on what they’d be willing to fork over.
“I think he can get $30 [million] on the market, I think he can get 3 for 90, so for me the Warriors have to come somewhere between 3 for 80 and probably tap out at 100 on the back end, with incentives and stuff,” Thompson concluded. “That’s what I envision.”
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