Draymond Green has agreed to re-sign with the Golden State Warriors on a one-year deal worth $27.7 million and will return to the organization for his 15th season, according to league and team sources who spoke on condition of anonymity so they could speak candidly about a deal that has not been announced. Because Green is on a one-year deal, the Warriors cannot trade him without his consent.
Green, 36, averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists last season while struggling to find offensive consistency. His value to the Warriors comes primarily on the defensive end, where he can still be a difference-maker in the right matchups, and as the emotional leader of a group whose identity he helped shape alongside Stephen Curry and former Warriors guard Klay Thompson.
Draymond Green talks about the possibility of being traded
Nick Friedell
The biggest question entering next season is how Green will handle a potentially reduced role if his play continues to decline. However, after a season in which several Warriors players battled injuries, Green still appeared in 68 games.
The defining moment of his season came two days before Christmas, when he left the bench during a game against the Orlando Magic following a heated argument with head coach Steve Kerr.
Kerr publicly apologized the following day, and the incident appeared to strengthen their relationship.
Green remains one of the most respected voices in the locker room and a foundational figure in the franchise’s championship era. While he is no longer the player he once was or capable of impacting games nightly, his leadership, competitiveness and defensive presence remain valuable. He has also been open about wanting to help position the organization for continued success.
Green was expected to pick up the one-year, $28 million option on his previous contract prior to the start of free agency this summer. But hours before the deadline, Green and the Warriors agreed that he would decline that option to give the team the financial flexibility it needed to pursue huge, roster-changing moves to load the roster with more stars, including LeBron James. But to get James, the thinking went, the Warriors needed to trade for Anthony Davis, and the Washington Wizards showed no interest in trading Davis to anyone — especially to the Warriors for what they were offering (Jimmy Butler’s contract would have had to be included in any deal for Davis to make it work under league rules). The Warriors stood pat with Green until James chose the 76ers, and with no other major move requiring that flexibility, Green, as The Athletic previously reported, returned to the Warriors for essentially the same salary he otherwise would’ve earned next season.
With Green’s contract situation now resolved, the Warriors will hope he can also serve as a mentor for first-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg, who is expected to make an impact after being selected with the No. 11 pick in June’s NBA Draft.