Golden State Warriors superstar Draymond Green opted out of his $27.6 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. It will be very crucial for the Warriors to hold onto Green after they recently traded Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Chris Paul.
Therefore the Warriors may look at a new deal for the Green. They would not want to lose someone of his experience and calibre heading into the next season. Recently on ESPN’s First Take Kendrick Perkins stated that Green is one of the best defenders in the NBA and is invaluable to the Warriors.
“Draymond Green is arguably one of the greatest defensive players that this game has ever seen,” Perkins said. “His ability to play and switch out through 1-5, his ability to play the center position, anchor a defense, he’s invaluable.”
He also highlighted how Green has shown time and again that he is an elite shooter especially when it mattered the most. Apart from that, his exceptional playmaking and his leadership will be a big miss for the Warriors if they fail to hold onto him for the next season. He is extremely versatile and a very important player in this Warriors dynasty.
The Warriors finished sixth in the Western Conference with a regular season record of 44-38. During the postseason they somehow edged past the Sacramento Kings to reach the Conference semifinals where LeBron James led Los Angeles Lakers were too good for the Warriors. Stephen Curry and his men lost the round 4-2.
Despite being the defending champions, the Warriors were at their lowest in Game 6 as they bowed out of the competition after losing 122-101. The Warriors never looked like themselves in last season’s playoffs and hence they knew changes were required and therefore they have brought in someone like Chris Paul. But they need to keep Draymond Green in their next season’s roster to make the plan work.
Green was not at his best in this season’s playoffs as he averaged 9.4 points (46.2% shooting), 6.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. He was not consistent enough throughout the postseason.
Some reports suggest that the Warriors are working on a new contract for Green and Bleacher Report’s Jason Dumas feels it can be a three-year extension for the veteran.
