Warriors ‘really want’ Draymond Green back, says new GM Mike Dunleavy Jr., but ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith says 33-year-old will cost at least $100million as a free agent after opting out of deal
- New Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. says he wants Draymond Green back
- But ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith thinks it will cost at least $100million to re-sign him
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The Golden State Warriors want Draymond Green back but may have to pony up another $100 million in salary for the 33-year-old soon-to-be free agent.
New Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. was asked about Green’s decision to decline his $27.5 million player option for the 2023-24 season in hopes of landing a larger contract when free agency begins next month.
‘We really want Draymond back,’ Dunleavy said, as quoted by ESPN.
Furthermore, Dunleavy ‘feels confident we can navigate’ Green’s free agency, adding that ownership has the finances to retain his services.
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But as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith predicted on his daytime show, First Take, it will take between $100 and $120million to re-sign Green in today’s market.
The Golden State Warriors want Draymond Green back, according to GM Mike Dunleavy Jr.
The Warriors want Green back, says GM Mike Dunleavy Jr., but Stephen A. Smith says it will be costly: $100-$120M in today’s NBA economy’
.@stephenasmith says Draymond Green is “easily” worth another $100M ¿¿
“$100-$120M in today’s NBA economy, with KAT signing for $250M and they ain’t win a damn thing? I don’t want to hear that Dryamond Green ain’t worth that money. You’re damn right he’s worth that money.” pic.twitter.com/amxG8TWjTL
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 20, 2023
‘$100-$120M in today’s NBA economy, with KAT signing for $250M and they ain’t win a damn thing?’ Smith said, referencing the $224 million, four-year extension signed by Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl Anthony Towns last summer.
‘I don’t want to hear that Draymond Green ain’t worth that money,’ Smith added. ‘You’re damn right he’s worth that money.’
The decision may be far more complicated that either Dunleavy and Smith are making it out to be.
Last October, the Warriors signed Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins to a pair of four-year extensions worth $249 million, which pushed the team’s luxury tax bill for the upcoming 2023-24 season to $286 million.
By offering Green a three- or four-year deal with an average annual salary ranging between $25 million and $33 million, the Warriors could easily end up spending more than a half billion dollars in payroll and luxury taxes next season.
New Pistons coach Monty Williams could attract Draymond Green back to his home state
But the bigger risk might be letting Green walk.
The former Michigan State star is regarded as one of the more reliable defensive forwards in the NBA, as well as an excellent passer, who was a key figure in the Warriors’ recent four titles.
He is, however, 33, and has not averaged double figures in scoring since the 2017-18 campaign.
What’s more, he’s an unreliable perimeter shooter, which isn’t a big deal when playing alongside Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, but would be a tremendous drawback for other teams around the NBA.
One intriguing option is the Detroit Pistons, who have about $30 million in salary cap space heading into the summer.
Not only is Green a Michigan native, but he could provide veteran leadership for a young, talented team.
But it wasn’t enough for Mills to stay quiet. Instead, she claimed Williamson got his girlfriend pregnant while she was recovering from failed ‘butt-reduction surgery’.
Jordan Poole’s $140 million extension with the Warriors puts the team in luxury tax peril
She said: ‘I spoke with him and he wants me to delete all the tweets but you had a baby on me @Zionwilliamson you need to man up and fixed this situation get a dna test so we can all move forward with are lives.
‘I wish I woulda came and seen you on Valentine’s Day as you wanted me to but I was still sick from my failed butt reduction surgery in December so I was on bed rest until March as requested from my doctor. Now look a due date in November.’
In a series of tweets on June 11, Mills posted screen shots of alleged text message conversations she had with Williamson – claiming Zion ‘ruined’ her life and that she ‘genuinely loved’ him.
Some of these messages – allegedly from Zion – ask Mills to ‘delete everything’ the adult entertainer has posted about him.
