Draymond Green is still without a contract. Weeks after opting out of his $27.6 million player option – a sacrifice meant to give the Golden State Warriors maximum flexibility in their pursuit of LeBron James – Green remains a free agent while the Warriors work through a complicating wrinkle: his reported demand for a no-trade clause.
The opt-out that backfired
Green was the Warriors’ lead recruiter for LeBron James this summer. He declined his player option in late June to open up cap space for the franchise, then lobbied James directly to bring him to San Francisco. James chose the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal. That left Green without the return on his sacrifice – and without a new contract.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Green’s insistence on a no-trade clause stems from a February incident in which the Warriors explored trading him as part of a package for Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. That deal ultimately did not materialize – Giannis was eventually sent to Miami – but the attempt left a mark on Green’s trust in the front office.
What a deal looks like
The Warriors are expected to re-sign Green at roughly $28 million per season, matching the value of the option he declined. That figure has been widely reported since mid-July, per The Athletic and HoopsHype. The sticking point is the no-trade clause: granting one would remove a future trade chip for a franchise that has used Green’s name in deals before. Golden State is weighing whether to include it.
Green, 36, remains one of the NBA’s elite defensive anchors and a four-time champion. His leadership on and off the floor is irreplaceable in the Warriors’ system. But this offseason, more than any other, has underscored that the relationship between player and front office is more transactional than it once appeared.
[Update – July 29, 2026] Draymond Green has agreed to return to the Golden State Warriors on a one-year, $27.7 million deal, per Shams Charania of ESPN. The contract matches the value of the player option Green declined in June – a move made to give the Warriors salary-cap flexibility in their pursuit of LeBron James. James ultimately chose the Philadelphia 76ers, and Green returns to the team he has called home for over a decade.
Sources: ESPN (Brian Windhorst); HoopsHype; The Athletic
