NBA insider sheds light on Warriors, Draymond Green after missing out on LeBron James

LeBron James is putting on a Philadelphia 76ers jersey, after eight years with the Los Angeles Lakers. James made a splash when he announced the news on Friday, and it certainly dashed the hopes of Warriors fans hoping to see him stay on the West Coast.

So, where do the Warriors go from here? It's not all bad. They have star players, such as Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, so the Warriors have plenty to be happy about for the 2026-27 season.

But, Green still doesn't have a deal. He's an unrestricted free agent after turning down his $27.6 million player option for the 2026–27 season to give the Warriors financial flexibility to, well, get someone like James. So, what happens from here?

Warriors next move with Draymond Green may surprise some

On Wednesday, before James had announced his decision, ESPN's Anthony Slater weighed in on what the Warriors would likely do if LeBron didn't come to the team.

"If LeBron doesn't come, they could just give Draymond Green back basically a one-year, $27 million offer," Slater said. "Basically he'd (be) back on the player option that keeps the Warriors long-term financial flexibility and gives Draymond Green the payday he wants."

That could come back to bite them, though, seeing that re-signing Green for only one season would result in all three of the Warriors' stars, including Green, Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, being on expiring contracts. But it could also give the team flexibility.

"Fans don't like to hear this but optionality, flexibility, they can go after future stars," Slater added.

So, it's a messy situation right now, but don't worry, because the powers that be are surely putting their heads together on this situation. It's too important to put off until next season.