Over the next 12 months or so, the Golden State Warriors will have some difficult decisions to make as far as offering key players new contracts and how much they should offer them, or if they should even offer them any contract to begin with.
Andrew Wiggins, who was an All-Star starter this past season, will be a free agent next summer, and losing him would be a major blow to the team’s hopes of contending for championships beyond 2023.
Jordan Poole will also hit the market in a year, and he has become a key part of the Warriors’ second unit.
But perhaps the most important player they will need to make a decision on is Draymond Green, who is their Swiss Army knife and their emotional leader.
He will make nearly $26 million this coming season, and he has a player option for the 2023-24 campaign.
It looks like Green will demand a max contract extension in order to remain with the world champions.
Draymond Green ‘wants and believes’ he deserves a maximum contract extension, per @ThompsonScribe pic.twitter.com/jgTcrre4GF
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 27, 2022
Green is a very good player, but is he really worth that much money?
Green Is The Heart And Soul Of The Warriors
If one merely looks at Green’s stats, especially his scoring numbers, which have always seemed pedestrian, one may conclude that he is nothing more than a solid role player.
In reality, while Stephen Curry is Golden State’s best player, Green, at least in some ways, is its most valuable player.
He is perhaps its best rebounder, as he was tied with center Kevon Looney for the team lead with 7.3 rebounds per game in the 2021-22 season.
Green is an excellent ball-handler, especially in transition, and he helps Curry ignite the Warriors’ running game, which is arguably the best in pro basketball.
He is also the team’s best passer, as evidenced by his 7.0 assists per game in 2022.
But Green is an elite defensive player, not just because of his skill, but also because of his toughness and other intangibles.
Few in the history of the league can quarterback a defense like @Money23Green 🔒 pic.twitter.com/YtYC7x0Zuj
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) July 23, 2022
In addition, he is the team’s spiritual leader, as he wears his emotions on his sleeves and often galvanized his teammates.
Curry, Wiggins and Klay Thompson, just to name a few, are even-keeled by nature, and a player such as Green is needed to prevent the team from operating only on inertia.
Don’t Overvalue Green
If Green gets the max contract he thinks he deserves, that means he would be making north of $40 million a year due to the fact he’s now been in the league for 10 years, according to Hoopsrumors.com.
Is he really worth that much, especially considering he has averaged at least 12 points a game for an entire season only once?
Adding to the difficulty of keeping Green in the Bay is the fact that the Warriors already have a very hefty luxury tax bill.
Owner Joe Lacob has plenty of money in the bank, but even he has his limits, and this amazing and deep roster he has built may be getting too expensive, even for him.
But if the Warriors don’t come to terms with Green and he ends up leaving, their championship window will likely shrink to a sliver.
NEXT: Is It Time To Give Jordan Poole A Contract Extension?
