Draymond Green provides definitive statement on his future

The Golden State Warriors are currently stuck in a spot that no NBA team wants to be in. 

The team is too good to be picking in the lottery, but not good enough to be a true contender. Things got even more gloom when Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending injury last month. 

The team has made it clear that they want to go for it one more time with Stephen Curry. At the trade deadline, the team added Kristaps Porzingis, but the big man has been dealing with an illness and has only played in 17 games this season. 

Before the deadline, franchise legend Draymond Green's name was floated in trade rumors. The Warriors were linked to big names like Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Green would've had to be included due to his salary. 

Green is about to turn 36 and it's clear he's lost a step from his prime. However, the veteran recently spoke with NBA insider Mark Medina and offered a definitive statement on his future. 

 “I feel great. I feel like I can go another two to four years. I think for me, I always want to try to compete at an elite level,” Green said. “If I can’t do that, then it’s not as fun. But what I will say is that I have more left than I thought I would at this point. So as the years have gone by, the outlook on when I’ll be done has changed. I thought I’d get to Year 12 and that I’d be breaking down. But by the time I got to Year 12, I felt like I was still getting better.”

Even if Green isn't putting up the numbers he once did, it's clear he still thinks he has plenty to offer. Even if the Warriors decide to move on from the veteran, there would likely be plenty of teams interested due to his championship pedigree and elite defense. 

Green has a player option worth over $27 million for the 2026-27 season. It's highly unlikely Green would command a salary higher than that as a free agent, so it's expected he will pick up his option. 

However, if the Warriors are planning on including Green in a trade for a player like Antetokounmpo, the veteran may prefer to decline his option and sign elsewhere in free agency. 

For what it's worth, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. recently indicated that Green was never included in trade talks. If that's the case, the team may be fine with Green opting in and remaining on the team next season after all.