New Draymond Green Rumors Leak About Warriors' Contract Stance After Loss to Suns in NBA Play-In

While he has a player option for the 2026-27 NBA season, Draymond Green's future with the Golden State Warriors is far from secured, according to The Athletic's Nick Friedell and Marcus Thompson II.

Friedell and Thompson reported Saturday that Green is optimistic he can stay with the Warriors for the remainder of his career. However, they noted that the four-time All-Star, who can earn $27.7 million, potentially presents "the last opportunity the Warriors have to try to put together a package for a star":

"The Warriors have two massive salaries on the books next season in Curry ($62.6 million) and Butler ($56.8 million). The next sizable salary is Green's $27.7 million player option. Then Moses Moody's $12.5 million, which would be tough to trade since his ruptured patellar tendon threatens most of next season. So if the Warriors want to trade for any player with a significant salary, Green would make the most sense to be included."

Per Friedell and Thompson, Golden State is awaiting Green's decision on his option before the front office seriously considers the next steps.

General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is sitting in a tough position. The Warriors lost 45 games in the regular season, and their campaign came to an end with Friday's 111-96 loss to the Phoenix Suns in the play-in tournament.

Warriors-Suns Highlights

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Golden State is a long way off where it needs to be if it wants to win another title with Stephen Curry. And that ship may have sailed for good anyway when Curry is 38 and Jimmy Butler is coming off a torn ACL.

If Dunleavy is determined to at least try, then it will be difficult to upgrade the roster while retaining Green.

The organization already showed with Klay Thompson it's willing to set sentiment aside and be pragmatic. The Warriors weren't prepared to give Thompson the role or the money he wanted, paving the way for him to sign with the Dallas Mavericks.

Golden State made the right decision in hindsight.

In April, Green acknowledged to ESPN's Anthony Slater there was a period prior to the February trade deadline where he thought he'd be the next franchise icon to go.

The Warriors unsuccessfully made a run at the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo. Green probably would've been included for salary-matching purposes.

"I understand this business probably [as] good as any player," he told Slater. "I understand like, yo, this is Giannis Antetokounmpo. They not just about to trade me for a bag of peanuts. It would've almost been a point of pride.

"I'll be honest though. I didn't want to play for Milwaukee."

Dunleavy will probably get another shot at Antetokounmpo when Giannis' relationship with the Bucks appears to be in an untenable state. Based on the law of averages, the two-time NBA MVP may not be the only marquee name who's available in a trade, either.

It's not a foregone conclusion that Green will be playing elsewhere on opening night next season. Still, one can help but sense a creeping inevitability about all of this, the same kind of conviction that preceded Thompson's exit.