Warriors, Green reportedly agree to five-year, $82M deal
Draymond Green, the second-round draft pick-turned heartbeat of a championship team, announced Wednesday that he has agreed to a five-year contract extension with the Warriors. The deal is worth $82 million, according to a source.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers confirmed that the team intends to re-sign Green at the conclusion of the NBA moratorium period next week.
“I’m proud to say that I’ll be a Warrior for at least the next five years,” Green said from Southern California in a recorded video for Bleacher Report. “It’s been a long journey to get to this point whether it’s always trying to overcome the odds, overcome the doubters. To be in this position signing back long-term with the Warriors is amazing.
“It’s an organization that I love. It’s great being a part of. Best fans in the NBA. First-class organization. I think staying with the Warriors is very, very important to me … obviously coming off a championship. We’re thinking we can win a lot of championships.”
The deal with the 25year-old Green, which Myers promised at the championship parade to get done, came within the first 24 hours that NBA free agents could negotiate with teams. The two sides had met Tuesday evening, with the deal coming together after Yahoo! Sports first
“It’s an organization that I love. It’s great being a part of. Best fans in the NBA. First-class organization. I think staying with the Warriors is very, very important to me… obviously coming off a championship. We’re thinking we can win a lot of championships.”
— Warriors forward Draymond Green
reported Wednesday afternoon that talks had reached an impasse.
The Warriors were able to offer their restricted free agent Green more money than any other team to retain the 6-foot-7 forward, and ultimately did just that. The Warriors also managed to keep from giving Green a maximum-salary contract at a time when they are almost certain to exceed the luxury tax threshold next season.
Green remained with the team that drafted him with the 35th overall pick in 2012 and saw him blossom into an emotional team leader and top-notch defender despite his size.
Green finished second in the voting for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award and averaged career highs of 11.7 points and 8.2 rebounds last season as he grabbed a starting spot and never let go. He saved one of his best performances for last, notching a triple-double against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the clinching Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
Green thanked his mother, Mary BabersGreen, along with his hometown of Saginaw, Michigan, and coaches and former players from Michigan State who had helped him. He later posted a photo of Babers-Green covering her mouth and apparently overcome by emotion after learning of the lucrative contract agreement, writing, “this is what I’ve worked my entire life to see!!!”
“I look forward to spending these years with my teammates, with the Bay Area, the Warriors organization,” Green said. “It’s going to be a fun time. Let’s keep winning championships. That’s the plan. That’s what we’re going to do.”
nThe Warriors are in the market for a reserve shooting guard and were among the teams to reach out to free agent Wayne Ellington, according to agent Jim Tanner. They also have interest in Marco Belinelli, who began his career with Golden State, Yahoo! reported.
Belinelli, 29, averaged 9.2 points per game and shot 37.4 percent from 3-point range last season for San Antonio.
Ellington, 27, averaged 10 points per game and shot 37 percent from 3-point range last season for the Los Angeles Lakers before he missed the final eight games of the season because of a separated shoulder.
Unrestricted freeagent n guard Leandro Barbosa, who appeared in 66 regular-season games and played significant minutes in the playoffs for the Warriors, told reporters in Brazil there was mutual interest in a return and that he had proposals from other teams as well.
Former Stanford center n Stefan Nastic agreed to join the Warriors’ summer league team in Las Vegas, the school announced.