With the 2022 NBA Finals in the books, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green is one of the most accomplished players currently in the league.
Green seems like the kind of player that would want to play out the rest of his career with the team that drafted him and go down as one of the greatest in the history of that franchise.
However, according to a recent report, there is one thing that could get in the way of that possibility. That one thing is money. According to the report, Green is seeking a max contract extension.
“Green, according to sources, wants and believes he deserves a maximum contract extension from the Warriors,” Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic reported. “Aug. 3 is when he is eligible to sign a four-year deal. That is his desired length.”
Unsurprisingly, the Warriors do not seem interested in such a deal.
“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,” Slater and Thompson added.
Beyond that, the report added that Green is willing to explore “outside options” if the Warriors don’t oblige.
“While his desire is to remain with the Warriors, Green is said to be willing to explore his outside options to get the kind of contract he wants,” Slater and Thompson wrote. “That’s a risk Warriors’ management appears willing to take. Green playing this season with a chip on his shoulder, motivated by proving to the league he deserves a max contact, could have a positive on-court impact.”
Though Green is without a doubt valuable to the Warriors, there are a lot of things working against him when it comes to getting a max contract. First off, he’s 32 years old. Though that isn’t so old in NBA terms, it definitely isn’t young.
Moreover, Green has had injury issues over the last few seasons. Over the last four years, Green has averaged a little under 55 games played per season.
As long as averages are being considered, it’s important to mention that last season, Green averaged just 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. Those aren’t the numbers fans and experts typically expect from max contract players.
It’s hard to know what Green’s value would be on the market if he did actually seek options elsewhere. Though he certainly has championship pedigree and can be a real culture leader for any team, he is not the kind of player that traditionally gets a max contract.
Either way, this storyline will surely be one to follow as the season progresses.
