NBA free agency: Draymond Green agrees to four-year, $100 million deal to stay with Warriors, per report

Green has spent his entire 11-year career with Golden State

Draymond Green is re-signing with the Golden State Warriors, per The Athletic's Shams Charania. The deal will pay him $100 million over four years and include a player option in the last season. Green, who declined a player option earlier in the offseason so that he could explore free agency, has now agreed to a new deal that will keep him with the only team that he has ever known in 11 NBA seasons. At 33 years old, this contract should carry Green through the remainder of his prime and potentially allow him to retire with the Warriors.

Green's future with the Warriors has been in doubt since training camp, when he infamously punched teammate Jordan Poole in a practice. The video was leaked, and Green stepped away from the team briefly. The Warriors entered the offseason with five extremely expensive players on their roster in Green, Poole, Andrew Wiggins (who signed an extension last offseason), Klay Thompson (who is eligible for an extension now) and Stephen Curry (who is the highest-paid player in the NBA). The Warriors have had the highest payroll in NBA history over the past two seasons, and with those five players on the books, they likely would have broken that record several times in the coming years.

But an offseason swap of Poole for Chris Paul eased Golden State's tax problems considerably. While Paul will actually make more money this season than Poole, his 2024-25 salary is non-guaranteed, meaning the Warriors can drop down to only four highly-paid veterans next offseason. That should offer significant relief, but for this season, Golden State's payroll and luxury tax commitments should combine for more than $400 million in total salary expenditures.

Of course, the Warriors wouldn't be signing Green to this deal if they didn't believe he was worth it. "If Draymond is not back, we're not a championship contender," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Golden State lost in the second round to the Los Angeles Lakers. That is almost certainly true. Green is still among the very best defensive players in the NBA, and he often functions as Golden State's point guard on offense while Curry runs around screens off of the ball.

The Warriors have been unique among NBA teams during the super team era. They've managed to keep the entire Curry-Thompson-Green core together for over a decade, and they've won four championships as a result. With Green coming back, the Warriors will have a strong chance to win No. 5.