Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green put the NBA in shambles by opting out of the final year of his contract. For the first time in his career, he’s officially an unrestricted free agent.
This isn’t exactly a surprise, as the reports pointed toward this decision for months. However, the fact that it came right after he was spotted hanging out with LeBron James in France raised some suspicion.
Even so, Warriors’ new GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. recently vowed to bring Green back at all costs, so he’s going to give the Los Angeles Lakers a good fight for the former Defensive Player of the Year.
Bron and Draymond were seen in France together on Sunday 👀 (via josh_sass98/IG)
Warriors Want To Keep Draymond At All Costs
“We really want Draymond back,” Dunleavy said. “To win at the highest level, we feel we have to have him. Beyond that, a lot could be made of all the challenges, but we are ready.”
"To win at the highest level, we feel we have to have [Draymond]." Mike Dunleavy Jr. says re-signing Draymond Green is the Warriors' top priority this offseason 👀 (via @NBCSWarriors)
Green Is Likely To Stay With The Warriors
Likewise, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN claimed that Green is most likely going to re-sign with the Warriors on a long-term deal. His camp isn’t trying to push his way out of the Bay area, and he wants to continue playing with the Splash Brothers.
“Opting out was just for procedure. It made sense to do that financially and now go back and negotiate a new deal with the Warriors,” Wojnarowski explained. “These are two sides that very much want to get a deal done. Draymond and Rich Paul are not posturing and threatening to go elsewhere, even though there are great options out there for them.”
“I think there’s a desire on both sides to stay together, they want each other,”Woj continued. “For Draymond Green, the idea of continuing with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Steve Kerr, it means the world to him. It’s just a matter of whether it’s a four-year deal or a three-year deal. I don’t sense any sense from either side that this could go sideways. I think these sides are destined to reunite.”
Joined @notthefakeSVP to report on the latest with Draymond Green and Chris Paul
Even though he’s quite close to LeBron, the Lakers can’t offer him the same money as the Warriors, so it seems like the fans can rest assured that he’s going to be back soon.
