Warriors have reason to want Draymond Green to opt-out of his contract

Draymond Green's name will feature prominently in the offseason of the Golden State Warriors.

There could be trade rumors, whether they make much sense or not. There are also some serious contract implications coming up for the future Hall of Famer.

Green has only ever played for Golden State, so whatever happens next will feel highly consequential. 

He certainly isn't the player he once was, but there's still plenty to figure out with Green as the Warriors try to figure out how to make the most of this dwindling era.

The first key is this: Green has just a player option for the 2026-27 season. It's for about $27 million.

Green could opt-in, make that amount for the next campaign, and then be a free agent.

Or he could opt-out and pursue some kind of new deal.

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The Athletic's John Hollinger thinks the Warriors should actually want Green to opt-out, which makes sense -- they could give him a deal over two years that actually mitigates some of the cap hit.

Green seems unlikely to decline his option and then leave town of his own accord, so the Warriors probably wouldn't have to worry about that.

"Green is part of the fabric in Golden State, and while his expiring contract could be used in a trade, it seems more likely that the Warriors try to extend their runway by matching his contract duration to that of Steph Curry and Steve Kerr," Hollinger writes. "BORD$ values Green at just $13.7 million, but he has $27.7 million coming his way. He’s not turning it down unless there’s a better proposition out there. Thus, Green opting out and re-signing for two years at, say, $38 million total would give the Warriors a lot more breathing room for their other offseason goals."

There are going to be plenty of rumors swirling around the Warriors besides Green. Could they sign LeBron James. Would they trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo? How else can they help Curry, Green and Jimmy Butler?

The reality is they've got to thread a needle through a small opening. It's going to be hard to get this right.

But at least if Green opts-out and takes less annual value over a multi-year deal, the Warriors will have a slightly better chance.

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