There was a lot of big money being thrown around this offseason, especially to the "3-and-D" specialists. Those wing players who can defend the perimeter and be deadly with 3-point shooting have become must-haves in today's more perimeter-oriented NBA, and the executives of the league rewarded them this summer by giving out big deals to many of the top 3-and-D players. There was one curious case though of someone who took less money than expected.
San Antonio Spurs wing Danny Green was expected to get a contract along the lines of what Khris Middleton, DeMarre Carroll and Wesley Matthews all received in their free agency negotiations. They all were signed to contracts that ranged from $14 million to $17.5 million per season on average. And yet, Green stuck with the team over individual mentality of the Spurs by sticking with them on a four-year, $40 million contract.
While most people believe he took less money to be on a title contender, Green believes he took what he was worth on the open market.
After being a second-round pick in 2010 and not being able to initially stick around, Green has developed into one of the best wing defenders and 3-point shooters in the NBA. He was integral in the NBA Finals run the Spurs made in 2013 when he set the record for 3s made in a Finals before losing in seven games. Then he was right there again in 2014 when the Spurs completed the job in five games and won the franchise's fifth title.
With the Spurs, Green is a 42.3 percent shooter from outside in the regular season and 42.9 percent in the postseason. He's fourth in franchise history in 3-pointers made and should pass Matt Bonner and Bruce Bowen this season as he starts tracking down Manu Ginobili for first place on that list. He's also the fourth-most accurate 3-point shooter in Spurs history. He averaged a career-high in points (11.7), rebounds (4.2), assists (2.0), steals (1.2), blocks (1.1) and minutes (28.5) while still making 191 3-pointers (also a career-high).
It's accurate to assume he left money on the table to stick with the Spurs though. Middleton received five years, $70 million to stay with Milwaukee. Carroll signed for four years and $60 million to join Toronto. Matthews received four years and $70 million to go to Dallas, despite recovering from an Achilles' tendon injury last season. In terms of being a defender and a shooter, Green is on par with all of those guys.