The Warriors don’t plan to let Draymond Green walk without making a substantial push to retain him. Green is declining his $27.5MM option for next season so that he can become an unrestricted free agent.
New GM Mike Dunleavy Jr.. said during his introductory press conference on Monday that the Warriors are committed to keeping Green, Janie McCauley of The Associated Press reports.
“Until we get the paperwork and the filing we can’t really comment or say much,” Dunleavy said. “I will say it – I think Steve (Kerr) has said it, I’ll reiterate – we really want Draymond back. What he means to this organization and this team in terms of trying to win at the highest level, we feel like we have to have him. So that’s very important.”
Owner Joe Lacob said the “good overwhelms the bad” when it comes to Green and the controversies he’s been involved in, including punching teammate Jordan Poole just before last season began.
“He’s a bit of a controversial player perhaps in some corners around the league, certain things that have happened over the years. He knows that. We know that. But the good overwhelms the bad is what I would say,” Lacob said, adding, “I think if he does come back that he will be very important to our success certainly going forward in the next few years.”
Here’s more from Dunleavy’s first press conference as the Warriors’ new head of basketball operations:
- Lacob indicated that he didn’t consider outside candidates to replace former top executive Bob Myers, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews relays. Dunleavy Jr. has been in the Warriors’ organization since 2018. He became VP of basketball operations in 2021. “Did I interview other people? No, not really. We didn’t go outside,” Lacob said. “We believe in continuity. We believe we have a really well-oiled machine, a well-running organization. Mike gets along fabulously with all the parties inside.”
- Regarding Poole, his four-year, $125MM extension kicks in next season and Dunleavy said he’s not looking to deal the guard, despite his disappointing 2022/23 season. There are also questions about whether Green and Poole can continue to coexist.
- Dunleavy believes Jonathan Kuminga can make more of an impact with expanding playing time, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets in a video clip. “Obviously, a lot of rumors come up this time of year but we’re happy with those guys (Poole and Kuminga),” Dunleavy said.
- Dunleavy added “you’re always running things by” Stephen Curry but Curry is more concerned with working on his game than influencing roster decisions, Slater relays via another video clip.
Before y’all get to crazy hating on Draymond remember that he’s a 1st ballot HOFer who can do things like play lockdown defense on the best big in the game while averaging a triple double for the series… link to m.youtube.com
That’s from five years ago, dude. No one is arguing that Draymond wasn’t a good player. They’re saying he’s no longer that good. And that’s not really debatable, either. He’s 33, unpredictable, and brings a ton of drama and baggage with him. Still a solid and at times very good player, but he’ll end up right back with the Warriors because no one else is going to throw that kind of money at him.
Warriors are trying to shine him up all clean and glossy, hoping some team takes the bait and throws a ton of money at him – gets him off their hands…
Will it work?
Yes
Lakers are the only team that will make huge offer
4 year $120mm?
All other lakers pay cut
They do not have the cap room to sign any free agents other than there own
Smh man you haters just can’t help yourself lol it’s just 2nd nature for yall. Well Draymond was great 5yrs ago & he’s still pretty great. This is him being 1 of the best defenders in the league & a major factor in the Ws winning the NBA title last yr… link to m.youtube.com
HOFer? Lol
You’re a casual if you think he’s not going to the hall first ballot
Dude showed a clip from 5 years ago, lmaooooo
Draymond single handedly cost the warriors this season.
He’s a terrible Average role player on any other team except GS.
Gets 4 buckets a game on a good day gets called a first ballot hall of famer lmao
He is easily. His achievements in his career surpass other players already in the hall.
Because modern day basketball give hand out awards. Come on. He’s lucky he was drafted by GS and David Lee got injured
Other than being a passenger on Curry’s championship bus, there is nothing about Draymond that comes close to Chris Webber. And Webber wasn’t a first ballot. If Draymond gets first ballot, someone needs to nuke the HOF
Man, I really dislike Draymond but to say he’s not a first ballot HoFer is just really, really dumb.
Go ahead, explain to me how he is better than Webber?
Or Dennis Rodman for that matter
I want to hear it too
His best fit is the warriors. A lot of teams just don’t care for his on the court BS. The warriors are use to it, and understand his outburst will come throughout the season. Solid player, but not a max player
And there is something to be said for continuity. They know him inside and out, allowing his potential to be maximized. Go anywhere else and there will be a learning curve. Yes, it would be a smaller one for him than for other players due to his high BBIQ but it would still exist nonetheless.
There is a difference between Draymond and the media portrayal of Draymond.
Media claims Draymond green kicks lebron in the nuts, fails to even mention that he was getting tea-bagged and stood on top of during a pivotal play, and he didn’t actually make contact with lebron.
Media claims Draymond tried to kill sabonis, in reality sabonis held his leg and caused Draymond to trip. Draymond hesitates mid air and goes straight down with his leg in sabonis stomach, carefully landing exactly where he wouldn’t hurt sabonis, while preventing an ankle injury to himself. Sabonis rolls on the floor until the exact moment the replay review is over and hops up like nothing happened. Somehow Draymond is the bad guy.
If you watch every warriors game, you have a much different view of Draymond than the keyboard warriors who watch sports center.
Media gets payed by the view/click, they exaggerate and misrepresent everything the can for profit.
Draymond will be back in San Francisco on a multi year deal. He’s too important to be outbid, and no way lacob loses Draymond due to a few million dollars.
Stop the hate, Draymond is an all time great!
Draymond has been one of the dirtiest players in the league for a long time. He’s also been a great defender and a valuable member of an NBA dynasty. Both things are true.
Exactly….everyone not wearing blue and yellow tinted glasses knows this.
Likewise, one can argue that the media has overexaggerated his antics over the years, yet he still remains a dirty player nonetheless. The problem is when folks try to overcompensate for the foolishness of others and, in the process, just look foolish themselves.
Draymond has value and will get paid accordingly. But his antics will be factored into that price. And they aren’t a non-factor. None of that changes because some folks see no fault in him while others see nothing but faults.
Nailed it Menace. I’ll add that there is no one better post game at the table. How could someone with that basketball IQ be expendable? Answer is he’s not expendable. And I agree, he will be back.
@Highwaymenace yeah and I’m sure Draymond was sneezing when he “accidentally” punched Jordan Poole, and the media and the VIDEO reported it wrong.
Draymond got arrested for beating a guy up a couple years ago. Got no jail time because he was famous.
Somehow Draymond just seems to get into all these “situations” that are not his fault and that are potrayed by the media to make him look bad, yeah sure
You are delusional if you don’t think Draymond is a thug
Agree. He’s a thug. We have it over and over on camera. But being a thug got him and GS a few titles and him on TV so it’s overlooked. Only winning counts. It’s the time we live in. Bullies are thriving.
Why did that video get edited down to only show the exact moment Draymond hit him, and no audio. Also, warriors players have been on record about poole arrogance and attitude problems. Not saying he should have hit him, but again it was a carefully crafted event.
Lol I mean, he has kicked players in the nuts while in the air.
It’s not like LeBron is the only player Green has kicked in the nuts, he seems to extreme pleasure from doing so to Steven Adams.
He hesitated mid air to make sure his foot landed on Sabonis’ stomach when he could’ve..oh I don’t know, maybe stepped on the court.
Normally Green tries to see what he can get away with and gets inside people’s heads but oftentimes he lets his emotions get the best of him and does stupid stuff like punch his teammate in the face.
He is a future Hall of Famer, he’ll be a controversial addition like Rodman. Also like Rodman 20 years later people will gloss over the fact that he was one of the dirtiest players of his era.
Watch the video again, no way to step on the court without risk of severe injury to sabonis arms or Draymond ankles
Loser as a player and now will be a loser at roster building. Already lost top assistant coach to the Raptors of all teams, then Draymond opts out and won’t be back. Dray knows how bad they were when Dunleavy played here, and he knows this is a sinking ship.
Funny thing about all these Green haters is if he played for their favorite team they would be doing a 180 and praising him.
Yeah and if Ted Bundy was my brother maybe I’d send him cookies in jail. Give me a break!
You would be buying his jersey and drooling all over him. We all know you are a homer.
Bull. You keep him. We don’t want him.
I don’t know if he has the same impact anywhere else
They should have restrained him much earlier. So many dumb fouls.
All these demon GSW haters up in this thread big mad we’re never blowing up the core. Stay mad cowards, rent free forever – my user name is coming true.
They’re not winning again as long as Klay and Draymond are making that much. No room for improvement anywhere unless a low draft pick outperforms expectations again. And quickly.
Not doing an outside search is just dumb. No issues with going internal, but if the internal choice is so strong they should easily be able to weather outside competition.
I wonder where all the Rooney Rule people are. I know that that’s the NFL but they didn’t interview ANY people of color? Where’s the outrage like there is at other places that do the same thing?
StephRetires is adorable.
Not really, dude needs counseling.
Green is more useful then Klay at this point. I’d keep Dray in GS if he wants a team friendly deal. Trade Thompson. He can go point at his fingers on a lottery team and see how he goes without the Warriors system.
Wow this is silly. I’m surprised you didn’t say trade Curry too
Resign Green, Moody and Lamb. Trade poole and Kuminga for Adams, kennard and picks or towns.
They want to keep Poole and Green? Ok first of all Green should have been charged for assault. If I’m Poole I’m leaving. He deserves better after that. If one of my teammates did that to me, I would never forget it. You don’t forget someone decking you like that. Shame on this organization for making light of it. They will never be the same team.
That said, if they want to get rid of Green, Steph probably wouldn’t have it. The way the offence is ran Curry has to work much harder getting his shot up without Green.
As they get older their young players never seem to develop enough and if they sign Green to a big contract, the Warriors will never compete for a chip.
I mean the arrogance that Draymond exudes must get old. He shows no humility and yet still doesn’t get better at shooting, scoring around the basket and rolling off screens. He’s only useful on the pick n roll if he’s passing out of the dive or pop which is why he steals so many assists from Curry and others. The vets they had around these guys when they were young (Bogut, Leandro, Lee, Iggy, West, Livingston) are great humble players and locker room leaders that put their egos aside and helped them get where they are. If Iggy doesn’t take that bench role, if Lee pouts instead of teach, if West isn’t a rock of commitment to his role (you too Bogut and co) and so on, what would GS look like today. I’m sure they weren’t punching Green in the face. Now Draymond is a vet leader and he’s a cancer to the younger guys. He clocks his teammate, hurts other players, racks up untimely ejections and stops short of any apology with excuse laden monologues.
At this point I disagree with Lacob. Draymond’s good doesn’t overwhelm his bad especially if they pay him because they need a better front court, perimeter defence (wigs can’t do it all) and bench to compete.
fortunately for the Warriors you’re not part of their brain trust. You so clearly let emotions determine your choices.
how many “if this” statements are you gonna put in your response? if this didn’t happen, history is history. deal with it. go play in traffic, jabroni.
What choices? I’m just commenting, and commenting on basketball facts and observations are not really emotional. Besides that you haven’t realized you are on a site entirely dedicated to “IFs” and free agency is one of the biggest ifs. To me it’s fun to read other’s takes and opinions, but you don’t actually have one. Sounds like you’re the one with emotions.
So, apparently the Warriors are gluttons for punishment.