Draymond Green Contract in Free Agency Was a 'No-Brainer,' Warriors' Steve Kerr Says

Keeping Draymond Green with the Golden State Warriors on a four-year, $100 million contract was a "no-brainer," head coach Steve Kerr said Friday.

"Given that he plays so well with Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson], it was really a no-brainer to try to bring him back," Kerr told reporters, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst. "And I'm so glad that it all checked out and it all worked out."

Kerr has been an outspoken proponent of retaining Green throughout the offseason. He said in May that Golden State could not contend for a title if Green walked.

"He's been such a huge part of this decade run and, as he showed this past year, he still has plenty left in the tank," Kerr said Friday.

Green declined a $27.6 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent earlier this offseason but returned to Golden State for a deal that guarantees him approximately $72 million over the next three seasons.

Green averaged 8.5 points per game, his highest scoring rate in three seasons, in 2022-23.

He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive team for the eighth time in nine seasons and tied for third among Warriors non-guards with 6.8 assists per contest. Green highlighted the campaign on May 10 with a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals to keep Golden State's playoff hopes alive against the Los Angeles Lakers.

After inking Green's deal, Kerr and the Warriors now have their core three of Green at power forward, Thompson at shooting guard and Curry at point guard locked in through the 2023-24 campaign. Curry is signed until 2026, and Green until 2027.

The next obstacle to clear to keep the trio together will be crafting a deal for Thompson, who is currently set to become a UFA in 2024.

Although the trio is aging— Curry is 35 years old, while Green and Thompson are 33— Kerr has been adamant about preserving the longest-tenured trio in the NBA (per ESPN Stats and Info.) The three have played together since Green joined the team in 2012.

Kerr, who signed an eight-year contract with the Warriors after winning the 2018 championship, is heading into the final year of his deal alongside Thompson.

If he has a say this offseason, it sounds like Kerr will be campaigning to extend Thompson as well as Green. The Warriors coach said in May that this trio had "lots to give for years to come."