Heading into the offseason, the Golden State Warriors had a decision to make regarding Draymond Green’s future with the franchise. Green, 33, has been a core member of the Warriors dynasty and is a generational defensive talent. However, in order for Golden State to retain Green beyond his current deal, the front office would likely need to clear some cap room.
According to Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy, who was speaking to The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami, the front office’s desire to retain Green led them to trade Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards. However, Dunleavy did note that the Warriors are comfortable in the knowledge that Chris Paul can fill the void left behind by the 24-year-old sharpshooter.
“At the same time, we needed to get Draymond back, what he brings to this team and what he has meant for the last 10 years,” Dunleavy said. “That’s going to keep going. That matters. So we prioritized that. And from there, we knew … another contract probably needed to be moved. And Jordan ended up being that one. But we feel like getting a player back of Chris Paul’s caliber can negate that in some ways or pick up that slack, It’s kind of the business that we do. And we’re in a good spot.”
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With Green’s future secure, the Warriors can now turn their attention toward Klay Thompson, who is entering the final year of his five-year $189.3 million deal and will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. As such, Dunleavy and Golden State’s front office has another big decision to make next year, but for now, the Warriors’ core is intact and ready to compete at the highest level.
