Oklahoma City — Four days after a March 2 loss to the LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green sat in a hotel lobby recounting the night he managed to suppress an on-court outburst. The restraint, he said, illustrated how the franchise’s slide down the NBA hierarchy has forced him to rethink the fiery approach that once energized four championships.
Season derailed by injuries
Golden State entered that Clippers game two wins over .500 but had already dropped three of five coming out of the All-Star break. The team’s depth vanished when Jimmy Butler tore an ACL in early January and Stephen Curry was sidelined later that month with an “unpredictable” knee problem that has cost him 26 consecutive games.
Without its two leading scorers, the club built a 17-point first-half lead against Los Angeles before Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland flipped the game. “We had a game going,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Draymond was all over Kawhi.” But Golden State could not keep pace offensively and fell again, a pattern that has left Green grappling with his 14-year career’s next phase.
Adjusting style and role
Now 36, Green acknowledges slower foot speed and less lift, yet still sees himself as a premier defender. Kerr recently asked him to curb risky passes that once fueled the Warriors’ motion offense. Green’s turnovers — including eight in a Dec. 14 loss at Portland and five two nights later at Phoenix — prompted a candid meeting in which Kerr said the reward no longer outweighs the cost in today’s faster game.
The offense has shifted toward Butler and newly acquired Kristaps Porziņģis, leaving Green to crash the glass or occupy corners instead of orchestrating high pick-and-rolls with Curry. When Curry plays, the duo has outscored opponents by 95 points in 823 minutes this season with a 118.0 offensive rating. Absent the two-time MVP, the Warriors have been outscored by 124 points while Green is on the floor, leading Kerr to close several games with different front-court combinations.
Trade rumors and contract leverage
At February’s trade deadline, team discussions with Milwaukee about Giannis Antetokounmpo included Green’s name, according to league sources. “This is probably it,” Green said he thought when he learned of the talks. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. later denied considering such a move, but the episode underscored how little is guaranteed beyond this season.
Green holds a $27.6 million player option for 2026-27. Options under consideration, according to team and league sources, include opting in as an expiring contract, signing a multiyear extension at a lower annual salary, or testing free agency — a route not widely expected. Potential destinations once floated, such as both Los Angeles franchises, remain hypothetical.
Focus on present goals
Despite reduced team success, Green believes he deserves a 10th All-Defense selection, a milestone reached by only five players: Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Scottie Pippen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kevin Garnett. Kerr backs the claim, calling Green “the most powerful force in the room every night” when circumstances align.
For now, Green insists he is willing to accept any role — starter or reserve — and refuses to overstay. “I fear ever becoming one of those guys that everybody else knows their time is up but me,” he said. Whether the closing chapter unfolds in San Francisco or elsewhere will be determined this summer, once player options and trade possibilities crystallize.
Source: ESPN
