NBA Rumors: Draymond Green's 'Volatility Has Worn on Several ...

8 days ago

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Veteran forward Draymond Green is under contract with the Golden State Warriors for at least two more seasons, but his on-court antics have reportedly hurt his standing with the organization.

Golden State Warriors - Figure 1
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According to ESPN's Zach Lowe, Green's "volatility has worn on several within the organization," meaning the Warriors could have a tough decision on their hands regarding whether to move forward with him on the roster or attempt to trade him.

Green remains an elite defender and a key part of the Warriors' success, but he was suspended twice during the 2023-24 season due to his on-court aggressiveness.

While the 34-year-old veteran has a history of technical and flagrant fouls, as well as suspensions, he paid more dearly than ever before for his actions during the 2023-24 campaign.

Green's first suspension was for five games after putting Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a chokehold during a game in November. Golden State went 2-3 in the five games he missed.

Just six games after returning from that suspension, Green had an even more serious incident when he struck Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face.

Green was suspended indefinitely as a result and went on to miss the team's next 16 games, during which time the Dubs went 8-8.

When he did play, Green remained a highly effective player, especially on the defensive end. In 55 games, he averaged 8.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.0 steal per contest, while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and a career-best 39.5 percent from three-point range.

Green is a four-time All-Star, eight-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection and one-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and while Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have often received much of the credit for the Warriors' success, as did Kevin Durant during his three-year run with the team, Green's contributions are undeniable.

He was part of all four of the Warriors' NBA championship teams since 2015, establishing himself as the ultimate glue guy and a player always willing to do the little things in order to win.

Green's passion and abrasiveness on the court have gotten him into trouble at times, but they have also helped him carve out a great career that could potentially lead to a Hall of Fame induction one day.

While some within the Warriors organization are reportedly tired of Green's issues, Lowe noted that "everyone within the team understands how good Green still is."

Green is signed through at least the 2025-26 season with a player option for 2026-27, and he is set to earn $24.1 million next season and nearly $25.9 million the following season, per Spotrac.

When taking into account the possibility of Green exercising his player option, any team that acquires him could be on the hook for $77 million, and Lowe opined that his contract could make it "tricky" for the Warriors to get anything of substantial value for him in a trade.

As a result, the Warriors' best option may be to ride it out with Green and hope that he is on his best behavior moving forward.

Green and Curry are both under contract for next season, while Thompson is set to hit free agency during the offseason.

If Thompson departs, it could be the end of an era for the Warriors regardless of what happens with Green, but as of right now it seems as though Golden State's best course of action is to keep both Curry and Green, and to allow both of them to help develop up-and-coming talent such as Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

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