Draymond Green made the largely ceremonial decision to decline his $27.5 million player option for the 2023-24 NBA season this week.
As a result, he will become an unrestricted free agent.
Green, one of the NBA’s more unique and versatile talents, is expected to seriously consider all offers presented to him. With his career winding down, this could be his final opportunity to secure a big money payday.
Late Monday night, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski revealed Green’s current stance on re-signing with the Golden State Warriors.
“I think there’s certainly a desire on both sides to stay together. They want each other,” Wojnarowski said.
“I think (for) Draymond Green, the idea of continuing with Steph Curry and with Klay Thompson and certainly (head coach) Steve Kerr, I think it means the world to him. It’s just a matter of negotiation. Is it a four-year deal? Is it a three-year deal?”
Obviously all sides want to find a common ground, but at his core Green understands that this is a business.
During an appearance on NBA Today this week, Marc J. Spears offered an interesting window into Green’s mindset.
“I talked to him after the last game,” Spears said.
“And here was this quote that gave me that stood out. He said, ‘I’ve been here 11 years, you don’t just up and change that. The guys that I started with are still here. Of course, I’d love to be here but I do understand that this is a business.'”
Green has been quite open about his future over the past few months.
The photos speak for themselves. https://t.co/TGyPHFXZmn
— Game 7 (@game7__) June 20, 2023
He is going to do what is best for himself – no matter what.
Whether that means returning to the Warriors or not.
Where will Green ultimately be playing come the beginning of the 2023-24 NBA season? One way or another the answer will emerge soon enough.
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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.
