Steve Kerr: Warriors 'Not a Championship Contender' If Draymond Green Doesn't Return

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr offered a full-throated endorsement of Draymond Green as the veteran forward potentially heads into free agency.

"Look, if Draymond is not back, we're not a championship contender," Kerr told reporters Tuesday. "We know that. He's that important to winning and to who we are. I absolutely want him back. He's a competitor. He's an incredible defensive player."

Early into the 2022-23 season, you probably would've leaned toward a divorce between Green and the Warriors.

The Athletic's Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II reported last July that Golden State had "no plans to offer Green a maximum extension" to that point. A few weeks later, the idea of Green returning to his home state to play for the Detroit Pistons was floated.

Then came the physical altercation between the four-time All-Star and teammate Jordan Poole.

By January, Green seemed to hint he was already preparing for an exit.

Kerr's comments illustrate how the pendulum may have shifted regarding the 33-year-old's future in the Bay Area.

The two-timeline plan as they initially mapped it out simply won't work for the Warriors moving forward. They can either continue chasing championships with Stephen Curry as the centerpiece, or they can pivot to the next generation that will lead them. The latter route would almost certainly require losing Green or Klay Thompson.

Based on the messaging immediately after Golden State's season ended, The Athletic's Tim Kawakami wrote the Warriors "aren't going to rebuild, retool, revamp or redefine who they are." Regardless of whether the dynasty is over, the Big Three of Curry, Green and Thompson isn't going anywhere.

What Kerr said in his exit interview only reinforced that idea.