Draymond Green Warriors contract keeps him in Bay Area as LeBron talks spill
Draymond Green is returning to Golden State on a one-year deal and says old Finals history helped keep LeBron James away.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Draymond Green’s Warriors contract drama ended right back where it started: Golden State. ESPN reported that Green is re-signing with the Warriors on a one-year, $27.7 million deal, the same terms he moved away from when he opted out earlier this summer.
CBS Sports reported that Green’s opt-out was designed to give Golden State room to chase other players, with LeBron James the biggest name in play. Once James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, Green and the Warriors settled his own situation.
The deal puts Green in line for a 15th season with the franchise that drafted him and built a dynasty with him next to Stephen Curry. Among active NBA players, CBS Sports noted that only Curry has spent longer with one team, with the guard entering his 18th Warriors season.
Why didn't LeBron James join the Warriors?
Green said on his podcast that he believes James could not get past the history between his Cleveland Cavaliers teams and Golden State. Green said he did not think the obstacle was the Warriors as a team or organization, but the years of rivalry attached to the jersey.
“I ultimately don't think Bron was ever able to get over the history,” Green said on the podcast, adding that he understood why that would matter.
Green also said he thought public reaction played into the decision. His view was that James would have faced criticism for joining Curry and the Warriors after years of battling them in the Finals.
James and the Cavaliers met Golden State in four straight NBA Finals after he returned to Cleveland in 2014. The most famous swing came in 2016, when Cleveland came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the franchise’s first title.
That series included a key flashpoint between James and Green. Green was suspended for Game 5 after hitting James below the belt in Game 4, a moment CBS Sports described as one of the major turning points in modern NBA history.
Green also brought Kevin Durant’s Warriors years into the discussion. CBS Sports noted that Durant was criticized by some for joining Golden State, even though he later won back-to-back Finals MVP awards in 2017 and 2018.
James’ move to Philadelphia leaves Golden State looking inward again. Green is back, Curry remains the centerpiece, and Jimmy Butler is also part of the contract picture described by CBS Sports.
As things stand, CBS Sports reported that Curry, Green and Butler are all set to be unrestricted free agents next season. Curry is 38, while Green and Butler are both 36.
Coach Steve Kerr adds another wrinkle. CBS Sports reported that Kerr signed a multiyear extension in May after nearly retiring at the end of last season, though the outlet noted there is no guarantee he sees out the full deal.
That leaves Golden State with one more season of familiar star power and a lot of questions waiting behind it. Green’s return keeps the core together for now, while James’ decision sends one of the offseason’s wildest what-ifs to Philadelphia instead.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.