San Francisco – by saying on many occasions that he wants to spend his career in the NBA with the Warriors but withdrawal from last year From his contract, as expected, Draymond Green dropped the matter into the four hands responsible for maintaining the front office of the team.
Those hands, which belong to CEO Joe Lacob and two belong to new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., laid the Hope flag on Monday, just hours after his agent, Rich Paul, revealed Green’s decision.
“I will say, (coach) Steve (Kerr) said it and I will repeat it: we really want Draymond back,” said Dunleavy. “What it means in terms of this organization and this team, winning at the highest level, we feel we have to get it.”
Lacob was emphatically appreciative while evaluating Draymond’s past contributions but to a lesser extent with regard to the future.
“Look, he was a great player for us,” said Lakob. “We wouldn’t have had these championships without him, no doubt. I think everyone in this room understands that. He meant a lot to this franchise.”
“He’s a controversial player maybe in some corners around the league, certain things have happened over the years. He knows that. We know that. But the good overcomes the bad. Maybe he needs to improve, just like we all do, to improve at certain things. Maybe we need to improve.” “It’s, as Mike said, to improving as an organization in some ways, for sure. He meant a lot. If he does come back, he’s going to be very important to our success for sure going forward in the next few years.”
There’s a lot between the lines of Lacob’s manifesto, including his early negotiation tactic and a stratospheric realization of team salaries. He puts a spending cap and wisely prepares for the possibility of a stalemate that could put the matter back in Drymond and Paul’s hands.
There is at least one other factor in the recesses of Lacob’s mind—and perhaps Dunlevy’s factor as well. This summer the Warriors could get to a point where they may have to choose between Jordan Paul and Draymond Green.
There was the oft-heralded example that was Draymond He walked up to JP and hit him in the face During pre-season practice last October. There is a possibility that the sibling breach may not be closed. There’s the fact that JP’s contract, which could be worth up to $140 million (with two layers of incentives) over four years—more than any Green has ever signed—is a huge investment in the Warriors’ future.
Paul is on the books of Golden State and will remain there unless he is traded. And yes, this is very much in the realm of possibilities.
Green will be off the books at the start of free agency in two weeks, with hopes of a new deal that will put him back on the books for at least three years.
Poole is a valuable asset today with the potential to grow into even more tomorrow.
Green is a key component of Golden State’s past glory which, at the age of 33, will almost certainly provide diminishing returns as Poole enters the prime of his fame.
Golden State’s roster “now” includes JP and, hopefully, Draymond. The “down the road” list includes only JP files.
Dunleavy is, at the moment, leaning heavily towards getting both on the roster next season – which will likely only happen. Draymond gets a multi-year contract.
“First of all, as said, the ability to get Draymond back would be huge,” he said. “From there, we’d like to make improvements to the point where we can add more shooting? Versatility? Can we add some contact, whether it’s ball-handling, passing or veteran experience?”
“We’ve heard, we’ve spoken to the coaching staff, we’ve spoken to our players, and we have a good sense of what kind of thing we need to do.”
If this summer follows last winter’s cue, it’s possible the Warriors could stick with Draymond and find a way to move JP. James Wiseman’s February trade, primarily to bring back Gary Payton II, was a sign that the franchise was betting right away.
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The front office, coaching staff and influential roster veterans last season felt urgency enough to make the risky move to maximize the remaining seasons for the veteran starting trio, with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson alongside Green.
The Warriors, according to several league sources, are open for trading. Paul’s age (24), talent, and decade make him someone who can offer an immediate contributor in return.
Could Green and Paul be on the roster when training camp opens? Yes. But if only one shows up, it’s because the Warriors stayed with the revised schedule just four months ago. They will have found a way to meet Draymond’s price.