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Just three years after being selected No. 35 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, Draymond Green is set for a large payday this summer. Green, who was a key cog in the Golden State Warriors‘ recent championship run, made just $915,243 this season. However, he now figures to be one of the most coveted free agents around the league during free agency, and the Warriors will have to move some pieces to be able to re-sign him.
Green, who placed second in the NBA’s Defensive Player of Year voting, had the third-best net rating on the team during the regular season according to NBA.com/Stats. His defense was a clear contributor to that accolade, as Green has the versatility to guard multiple positions at a high level. Rookie head coach Steve Kerr upped Green’s playing time by 9.6 minutes from the previous season, and it helped propel Golden State to the league’s best defense in both the regular season and postseason.
Furthermore, Green was one of the reasons why the Warriors were a dominant offensive team as well. Just like his defense, Green provided the Warriors with a versatile skill set on offense this past season. He shot 33.7 percent from behind the arc and also averaged 3.7 assists per game.
Given Green’s premier versatility on both ends of the court and glue guy character, he is expected to receive and sign a max contract offer this summer. Because of that, the Warriors will likely have to get creative to stay under the hard cap if the team wants to retain Green. Moving David Lee‘s monstrous contract is one way to do this, although finding a team willing to take on that large of a contract may be a struggle. Golden State could also look to trade Shaun Livingston, who is due $5.5 million this upcoming season and is a valuable trade asset. It also looks as if the team may have to decline Marreese Speights‘ team option in finding a cheaper big man off of the bench.
Given Green’s importance to the Warriors’ success this year, it is certain that Golden State will make these roster changes to re-sign him. In doing this, the Warriors will be able to attempt to repeat with a roster quite similar to the one that won the 2015 NBA Finals.
Nicholas Sciria is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Nick_Sciria, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
