The Golden State Warriors had an overvalued roster on their way to an NBA championship in the 2021-2022 season. With four players making more than $20 million, the Warriors paid more than any other team that season.
Almost 25 million of that salary load went to Draymond Greenwho still has a year left on his contract before he can elect to become a free agent in 2023. Green, the heart of this successful Warriors era, could explore options on the market sooner rather than later.
Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson of The Athletic reported that Green is looking for a four-year max deal.which would amount to 164 million for the next five seasons (nearly 33 million per season). Draymond will make $25.8 million in 2022-2023.
However, according to The Athletic, The Warriors have no plans to extend Green for that price. According to them, they seekdiscuss extension with Green next summer“.
Draymond Green’s contract details
Green signed a contract four years and 100 million with the Warriors before the 2019-2020 season, in a clearly favorable deal for the team at the time. This extension is analyzed as follows:
| Time | Salary |
|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 22.2 million |
| 2021-2022 | 24 million |
| 2022-2023 | 25.8 million |
| 2023-2024 | 27.6 million* |
* player choice
A new contract would be significantly more expensive for the Warriors. But if Green forces them and publicly announces he doesn’t plan to exercise his 2023 option, it could force them to commit to the extension or let Green leave via midseason trade.
The Warriors’ highest salaries in the 2022-2023 season
The Warriors have another very expensive season aheadwith Green joining Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins topping $25 million.
| Player | Salary |
|---|---|
| Stephen Curry | 48 million |
| Clay Thompson | 40.6 million |
| Andrew Wiggins | 33.6 million |
| Draymond Green | 25.8 million |
The current structure of the Warriors is hardly sustainable. While the Warriors can, in theory, sign all of their stars to max deals, the luxury tax would hit Joe Lacob hard. And even those who spend more have a limit.
How to quantify Draymond Green?
The Warriors have another problem: it’s impossible to quantify Green’s value to the team.
Green is the heart and soul of the Warriors, but hasn’t averaged more than 10 points since 2017 and is often almost invisible as a scorer. However, he is one of the faces of the franchise and is a great passer and defender.
On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine him getting a max contract with another franchise. Green is a perfect complementary piece for the Warriors, while other teams could prioritize other types of players for the max. With that in mind, even if you choose the opt out, Green may not get the money he wants after next season.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the NBA or its organizations.
