Does Draymond Green Deserve a Max Contract?
After winning the 2022 NBA finals, it has been reported as of late that 5-time all-star and former Defensive Player of the Year winner in 2017 Draymond Green, is asking for a 4-year $164 million max extension. This caused a lot of controversies as Draymond is 31 years old and his production has dropped over the years. However, Draymond is arguably the most valuable player on the Warriors, and without his play, the Warriors may not be the dynasty that they are today. It has been reported that the Warriors aren’t willing to offer this type of money to Draymond and he could explore other options if the Warriors don’t max him out. Let’s take a look and see if Draymond really is worth this type of money and can the Warriors compete for more championships with or without him in the future.
Why Should Draymond Receive a Max Extension?:
Draymond Green has been a key part of the Warrior's success even though his numbers aren’t the greatest. The Warriors have been known to revolutionize small ball depth lineups and Draymond Green is the foundation. Draymond would even play center for the Warriors at times and with his help defense, communication, and versatility to play on the perimeter as well, he has thrived in that role. The combination of that and his ability as a passer to always move the ball and find the right shooter or cutter has been a key part of the Warrior's ball movement on offense. On top of that, he is one of the best leaders in the NBA as he will push players to be better than they are and even push players who are better than him like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to play better. All of these skills that Draymond brings to the table are many reasons why the Warriors should pay Draymond Green the max in order to compete for more championships in the future potentially.
Why Shouldn’t Draymond Receive a Max Extension?:
As mentioned in the beginning Draymond Green’s production has begun to slip and it is evident that in the upcoming years, his impact will diminish. While he does have a lot in the tank it would still be risky for the Warriors to invest in an aging star who offensively isn’t the most polished and whose defensive impact won’t be the same. In the finals against the Celtics, Draymond Green had moments such as in Games 3 and 4 where he got benched in the closing minutes of the game because of his awful play. Another problem with Draymond is the fact that he is not a great shooter whatsoever as he has averaged under 30% from three for the past two seasons. In the finals this past season, the Celtics would leave Draymond Green wide open on the perimeter and he didn’t hit his first three until Game 6 of the finals where he had two of them. While Draymond’s role on the team isn’t to be a scorer, it will become a problem in the later years since Stephen Curry is 34 right now and Klay Thompson is 31 along with Draymond. Let’s also not forget that the Warriors want to pay Steph and Klay the max and are looking to pay Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole big money as well. This means that even if the Warriors wanted to max out Draymond, they wouldn’t be able to keep some of their other young pieces such as Wiggins and Poole who were vital pieces to their championship run this year. It all comes down to if the Warriors want to pay another player who can fill Draymond’s role for less money and maintain their other pieces, or if the Warriors pay Draymond what he wants and lose some of their young talents. Either way, it will be interesting to see what the Warriors do with Draymond and if he will be willing to take less money if the Warriors don’t max him out.