Chris Haynes reported that Draymond Green plans on signing with Klutch. The change of agency with one year left on his contract suggests that he is seeking to maximize his next deal. As of now, both the supermax and regular maximum contracts are still in play for him.
When the current CBA was being negotiated, there was a lot of speculation that one of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green would be eligible for the supermax along with Stephen Curry. It felt like the Warriors would eventually be presented with the dilemma of choosing between Thompson or Green. Now it seems unlikely that either will be eligible as long as the current Warriors core is kept together.
Prior to Durant joining the Warriors, Green had been on one All-NBA team in 2015-16 and was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year in 2014-15 and 2015-16. In Durant’s first season with them, Green won defensive player of the year in 2017, his fifth NBA season, as well as being named to his second All-NBA team.
As accomplished as that is, it may have come a little too early. The 2016-17 season was also the last season he earned either milestone, which means they won’t qualify him since it is too late for supermax criteria. Unless he wins defensive player of the year or is named to an All-NBA team this season, he won’t qualify to sign a designated veteran player extension this offseason.
Green’s stats and usage rate have remained relatively similar since Durant arrived, and he did earn criteria milestones in his first season with Durant. In the 2017-18 season, he did not earn a supermax criteria milestone despite still being selected an NBA All-Star. There could be voter fatigue in voting multiple Warriors for certain awards, but that is hard to prove with so many other stars on other teams. Despite his consistent play, this season he was not an All-Star. If he couldn’t get selected among the league’s top 24 players it is unlikely that he will be named as a top 15 All-NBA player.
The Defensive Player of the Year award is still wide open with players such as Paul George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid, and Rudy Gobert all in the running. For what it’s worth, all those players, among others, have played more games than Green this season and all rank higher than him in defensive real plus-minus (DRPM). He’s still after the award, and winning it would allow him to qualify for the supermax as an extension that would kick in for 2020-21.
Green’s potential designated veteran player contract is worth $240M over 5 years, based on current salary cap projections. Green is still under contract for one more season so no matter what his supermax can only kick in for 2020. So even if he qualifies and signs the supermax extension this summer, he still must play out the final year of his deal before it kicks in. Green only has seven years of service so if he doesn’t qualify this season he can still qualify in the next.
If Durant leaves after this season, it is possible that Green’s level of play could elevate and be more transparent. This could be his best chance at becoming eligible for the supermax. While he can become eligible for it, the Warriors aren’t required to give it to him even if he qualifies and Thompson doesn’t. So far in the short history of the supermax, there hasn’t been a scenario where an eligible player was denied it during negotiations, so this could be the first.
The longevity of his type of game has always been questioned, and his current down year filled with injuries could deter any team from offering him a max. Despite his hard work towards becoming eligible, he may need harder work towards negotiations to sign it.
.jpg?w=600)
