There has been some speculation that Draymond Green could leave the Golden State Warriors this offseason, and the former Defensive Player of the Year has now confirmed that he will explore that possibility.
Green’s agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, said Monday that Green will decline the $27.5M player option on his contract for the 2023-24 season. That will make Green an unrestricted free agent.
While ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Warriors are “motivated” to bring Green back, Paul says the 33-year-old is planning to “explore all options.”
The Warriors seem likely to keep their core of Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson together. However, there have recently been rumors linking Green to other teams.
Green can still re-sign with the Warriors, but opting out gives him maximum flexibility and leverage. It remains to be seen how much Golden State is willing to offer him given that they are coming off an early playoff exit and are hundreds of millions of dollars over the luxury tax threshold.
If another team comes in and makes Green a massive offer (especially one he is said to have interest in), things could get interesting between Green and the Warriors.
More must-reads: