The Warriors’ veteran core could be on the brink of splitting up.
Golden State star forward Draymond Green is declining his $27.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season and will enter unrestricted free agency, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday.
“We will continue to talk to Golden State and explore all options,” Paul said.
It was expected that Green would opt out, and he is now free to discuss his future with the Warriors, as well as explore sign-and-trades and free agency for a long-term deal with another team.
The Warriors reportedly have been motivated to sign the 33-year-old Green to a new deal.
After the Lakers ousted the reigning champion Warriors in six games to reach the Western Conference Finals in May, Green said he spoke with veteran teammates Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and all expressed their desire to stick together in Golden State.
“I was talking to Klay as we were sitting at the table last night, Ty [Jerome] Klay, Steph and myself — just like how important and big of a summer this is,” Green said at the time. “Like, how locked in we need to be.
“No I don’t think this is it. I’ll say it right here for you: This isn’t it.
“We plan on doing this thing again. That’s the plan. Obviously, this is a business and things have to take place. I get that, but we plan on doing this again.”
The news comes after a tumultuous campaign for Green, who made headlines in October when he punched teammate Jordan Poole in the face at training camp.
The fallout from the incident, which was captured on video and leaked to the public, caused tension that lingered throughout the season.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said at the time that it was the franchise’s biggest crisis during his tenure, adding that the reigning champion Warriors had lost trust in the locker room.
“There was some trust lost … we have to get back to what made us successful, which is a trusting environment,” Kerr said in May.
Green did not serve a suspension for the altercation, and instead was fined by the team.
The Michigan State product was selected by the Warrior with the 35th overall pick in the 2012 draft.
The four-time NBA champion, who’s been referred to as the anchor of Golden State’s defense, briefly stepped away from the team in a decision that Kerr said was “mutual” following discussions between Green and team officials.
However, Green was suspended on two separate occasions this past season.
In April, the NBA announced a one-game suspension without pay for Green after he was ejected for stepping on the chest of Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series.
Green served a one-game suspension from the NBA in March after picking up his 16th technical foul of the season, which he received for tossing the ball at Russell Westbrook’s head during Golden State’s 134-126 road loss to the Clippers.
Green was linked to the Lakers late last year, around the same time the news broke about the altercation with Poole.
Following the video’s release, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said on “First Take” that Green “would prefer to be a Laker.”
The four-time All-Star is close friends with Lakers superstar LeBron James — and Green, James and Lakers big man Anthony Davis are investors in the Lobos 1707 tequila brand.
The three players are often seen promoting it together at star-studded gatherings.
Additionally, James, Green and Davis share the same agent.
Green declined his player option a few weeks after Warriors president and general manager Bob Myers stepped down from his role.
Myers, whose contract expires this month, oversaw the building of Golden State’s championship-winning roster.
All eyes will be on newly appointed GM Mike Dunleavy Jr., whose first major task will be finding a new deal with Green.
Green averaged 8.5 points on 52.7 percent shooting, 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game this past season.
