The Golden State Warriors have been willing to spend big over the years if it means they’re able to compete for a championship. It’s worked out pretty well for them, because even though they’ve routinely boasted some of the most expensive rosters in the history of the NBA, the Warriors have won four of the last eight championships and made it to the NBA Finals an additional two times.
The issue is that between the team’s veteran core and their newer, younger players who have blossomed into important players for the future, things have the potential to get more expensive than ever in the not too distant future. While Steph Curry is locked in through the 2025-26 season, Golden State has a number of gigantic decisions to make sooner rather than later.
One of those revolves around Draymond Green, who is set to make $25.8 million next season and has a player option worth $27.6 million the year after. Per Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, the 32-year-old do-everything forward “wants and believes” that he should get a 4-year max extension, and is eligible to sign one worth $138.4 million starting on Aug. 3. The issue, however, is that the Warriors don’t seem keen to offer him one.
All indications, though, are that the Warriors have no plans to offer Green a maximum extension, and there isn’t any current traction on any type of extension. The typical pattern of this Golden State front office is to extend with one year remaining. Even Stephen Curry waited until one year remained before signing his max extension last offseason. Green has two years remaining on the maximum extension he signed in 2019. While he could opt out a year earlier, the Warriors’ current preference is to talk extension with Green next summer.
The pair went on to report that Green is “willing to explore his outside options to get the kind of contract he wants,” and while the team would take that risk, there are concerns about how Curry would react to Green potentially leaving “because the team didn’t want to pay him.” Should Green decline his player option and sign a 4-year deal for any amount with the Warriors next summer, the final year of his deal would take place during the 2026-27 campaign.