Just eight months ago, it seemed as though Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors were headed for a divorce, one that would dismantle a dynasty.
Green had punched teammate Jordan Poole at a practice in October. Shortly after, the Warriors offered Poole – a fourth-year guard who had a breakout campaign last summer en route to the team’s championship – a four-year contract extension worth up to $140 million. Meanwhile, the 33-year-old Green and the Warriors appeared to be moving in the opposite direction, with signs that the two sides weren’t going to agree to the maximum extension Green desired. The summer of 2023, when Green would officially reach free agency if he declined a $27.5 million player option for next season, loomed as a possible date for a split.
So how did things turn around so drastically to reach Friday’s news, with Green and the Warriors reportedly agreeing to a four-year, $100 million extension that includes a player option in the final season?
Even though his return looked in doubt for much of this past season, for Green, the Warriors have always been home.
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They drafted him as the 35th overall pick in 2012. And over the past 11 years, Green developed deep bonds with many in the franchise, especially coach Steve Kerr and superstar Steph Curry.
In recent years, Kerr told FOX Sports that Green had even become something of a co-coach behind the scenes, with the two men developing a mutual trust despite having a few very public screaming matches over the years.
Meanwhile, Green and Curry’s brotherhood deepened after Curry showed up at Green’s house following Green unleashing a verbal tirade at then-teammate Kevin Durant in 2018. Curry sat with Green for more than two hours, with Curry saying that he didn’t like the way Green handled the situation, but would always have his back.
Green felt understood by the Warriors. He had profound success with the team. He wanted to be a Warrior forever.
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But the incident between Green and Poole completely rocked things.
After a video of the punch was leaked to TMZ and went viral, Green briefly stepped away from the team and when he returned, there were times when Green struggled to be himself this season. Green’s intensity fuels him, but also gets him in trouble. In 2016, he was suspended for Game 5 of the Finals after hitting LeBron James in the groin. And after the incident with Durant, the Warriors suspended Green for a game.
The Poole punch seemed as though it might be the final straw for the Warriors. Green responded by dimming his fire – and it had profound repercussions on the team. That especially showed in the Warriors’ woeful road record (11-30), something for which Green took full responsibility.
“I think a lot of our shortcomings this year is my fault,” Green said on his podcast in January. “Why is it my fault? Because I have not been the leader that I am and that I need to be for this team. And the reason I have not been that leader is also my fault.”
Around that time, in an interview with Taylor Rooks in January, Green acknowledged that “the writing is on the wall” when talking about his future with the Warriors. He went on to refer to the team’s two-timeline plan, which had created a lot of tension between the team’s veterans and their young core.
“I thought I’d be there forever, I would love to be,” Green told Rooks. “I understand the luxury tax. I understand you got these young guys and contracts up, and they have to get paid … And so, just for me, that’s what I mean by the writing’s on the wall.”
But then, things took an unexpected turn for both Green and the Warriors.
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Green was key to Golden State ultimately securing the sixth seed in the Western Conference, then battling back from a 2-0 first-round deficit against the Sacramento Kings to win in Game 7. He helped drag the team’s second-round series against the Lakers to six games.
Over that period, it seemed as if Green were reminded why he loved being a Warrior. And his team was reminded of his unquantifiable importance, with performances such as Green’s in Game 5 against the Lakers, in which he had 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead his team to a win. He was also named to the All-Defensive second team in May.
Meanwhile, the Warriors’ two-timeline plan had been unraveling. They dealt former top pick James Wiseman at the trade deadline in part of a multi-team deal to acquire Gary Payton II. Poole’s stock plummeted in the postseason, with him averaging 10.3 points on 34.1 percent shooting, a severe dip from the 17 points on 50.8 percent shooting he averaged during the playoffs in 2022.
After the Warriors were eliminated, Green made his intentions clear.
“I want to be a Warrior for the rest of my life,” Green said after Game 6 against the Lakers. “I want to ride out with the same dudes I rode in with.”
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Kerr, in turn, stressed Green’s importance to the team.
“If Draymond’s not back,” Kerr told reporters during his exit interview, “we’re not a championship contender.”
The Warriors’ pillars echoed that sentiment, with Curry and Thompson saying they still deeply believed their core could win championships together.
Then newly appointed general manager Mike Dunleavy called re-signing Green the team’s No.1 priority. And just over a week ago, the team dealt Poole to the Washington Wizards as part of a deal to acquire Chris Paul, eliminating the remaining disharmony between Poole and Green that had plagued the Warriors all season.
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The Warriors clearly realized their prior approach was a mistake. Now, they just needed Green to buy in. He declined his option as expected, and rumors flew about potential other destinations.
In the end, though, with the drama behind them, everyone agreed to move forward together. It all worked out beautifully for Green, who has said that he wants to play in the NBA for 15 years, which would take him to the end of this new contract.
Now, Green’s dream of being a Warrior for life will likely be fulfilled. And the team’s dream of winning more championships with this group remains alive and well.
Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.
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