Draymond Green has been an incredible two-way player for the Warriors, with his contributions on the defensive end of the floor speaking volumes in terms of the impact he’s had for his team this season.
Golden State leads the league in defensive efficiency, and the only Warriors player that affects his team’s level of production more than Green is Stephen Curry. With Green out of the lineup, Golden State’s net rating drops 13.4 points per 100 possessions.
Green is going to draw significant attention on the free agent market this summer, but with his restricted status, the Warriors can match any offer he receives. And that’s the plan at the moment, according to at least one well-connected source.
From Diamond Leung of Bay Area News Group:
Mychal, of course, is the father of Klay Thompson.
The $15 million number comes from what a max contract would start at for Green, whether it comes from the Warriors or someone else. Green has been linked to the Pistons as a potential destination in free agency, but the fact that he’s restricted can complicate that process for other teams somewhat significantly.
With free agency in the NBA often times being a frenzy, teams are reluctant to sign players to an offer sheet, because it ties up their cap space for three days as the team with the player’s rights contemplates whether or not to match.
It’s smart for the Warriors to put it out there that they will in fact match any offer Green receives (whether it’s true or it isn’t) because it makes it less appealing for another team to sign him, and more difficult for Green to obtain an offer above what Golden State may be willing to give. We saw this play out with both Eric Bledsoe and Greg Monroe last summer; it ended up working out for Bledsoe, but Monroe was forced to sign a one-year qualifying offer after being unable to secure one in the range he desired.
The Warriors may very well offer Green a full five-year max deal, because once the salary cap spikes the following summer, max contracts will similarly increase -- and Green’s deal may, at that point, seem like a bargain by comparison.
But either way, letting it be known that they’ll match a max-level offer sheet is how the game is played.
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