Draymond Green is not leaving the Golden State Warriors, and the terms of the new deal make it obvious both sides prefer to keep this partnership going one year at a time.
Green agreed to a one-year, 27.7 million dollar contract to return, giving the Warriors continuity around Stephen Curry for at least one more championship run. It is the shortest big-money deal Green has signed in a decade, and it is basically a mutual insurance policy.
For the Warriors, keeping Green means keeping the defensive backbone that makes their entire system function. Kevon Looney is gone. Andrew Wiggins is aging. Buddy Hield is a shooter. Curry is the greatest offensive player alive but has never been a plus defender. Without Green, Golden State is a bottom-10 defensive team overnight.
With Green, they are legitimately in the mix.
The 34-year-old Green has slipped offensively over the years but remains one of the best defensive players in the league. He can guard all five positions in short bursts, he communicates constantly, and he understands Steve Kerr’s schemes better than any active player. All of that is worth 27.7 million dollars on a one-year deal.
For Green, the short deal is smart. He preserves the ability to hit the market again next summer when the salary cap jumps and the Warriors could either commit to a longer run with him or begin their post-Curry rebuild. He also gets to see how the Curry succession plan unfolds before deciding whether he wants to be around for it.
The bigger question is whether the Warriors can actually compete in the Western Conference. The West is stacked. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the reigning champs. The Denver Nuggets have retooled. The Minnesota Timberwolves are still nasty. The Houston Rockets took a big leap. Even the Dallas Mavericks, minus Klay Thompson, are dangerous.
Golden State’s ceiling depends almost entirely on Curry staying healthy. The 37-year-old superstar had a phenomenal 2025-26 campaign, but there is only so much magic to squeeze out of the tank. Every game he plays is a gift at this point.
What the Warriors have earned over the years is the ability to fight until the final buzzer. As long as Curry and Green are on the floor together, they will believe they can win any game. That belief is worth something in April and May.
The bench remains a work in progress. Jonathan Kuminga’s development is critical. Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski need to keep taking steps forward. Draft picks Trayce Jackson-Davis and their new lottery selection have to contribute right away.
None of that changes the fundamental fact that a Curry-and-Green nucleus in the Bay is one of the most successful partnerships in NBA history. Four championships. Two MVPs. A dynasty that shaped how the modern NBA is played.
One more year of that partnership starts in a few weeks. And if it turns out to be the last one, Warriors fans should enjoy every single minute.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
