As Draymond Green enters NBA free agency for the first time in his career, he’s making sure that the guys who have been by his side every step of the way are included in the process.
There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding Green’s future after the four-time champion declined his $27.6 million player option with the Warriors, but he is keeping longtime teammates Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in the loop as he maneuvers through unfamiliar territory.
“I’m going through free agency right now. You hear this, you hear that and [I’m] just updating them on my thoughts,” Green said on a recent episode of “Podcast P with Paul George.” “Every step of the way, I update them because I don’t want it to get down to a point where if I was to leave — because you just can’t control the news anymore and it’s just like, ‘Wam! Hey fellas, FYI, I’m gone.’ Or it’ll come across your phone and I don’t get a chance to tell you.
“So I’m in touch with them a couple times a week right now, just kind of letting them know by mindset, what I’m thinking, what I’m hearing. I can’t negotiate yet, but I don’t want it to come down to if I’m not offered the offer that I think I should get or I’m offered something better somewhere else and I like that situation more at this point in time of my life, I don’t want it to come down to it’s just some abrupt thing and we haven’t talked in weeks and now I’m hitting you up just to tell you I’m gone.
“So I’ve been updating them every step of the way over the last couple of weeks about what I’m hearing, about what some of the possibilities may be, just to keep them in the loop. That’s our relationship. And that’s what makes us special. I feel indebted to them for them to know where I’m at, where my mind’s at.”
Last week, Green on his Instagram story seemed to hint at what he expects in his next contract, implying that his fingers are crossed for a $100 million deal.
If he doesn’t get that from the Warriors, the team he’s played for his entire career, he could look elsewhere. And teams aren’t shy about their interest in the defensive-minded leader.
His hometown team, the Detroit Pistons, is reportedly among a flurry of teams expected to pursue Green once the free-agent negotiation window opens Friday. Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard also said it would be “a dream scenario” for Green to sign with Portland. Sacramento, who faced the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs, could also have its eyes on the 33-year-old.
The possibilities are almost endless. But there’s one thing that can be guaranteed: Curry and Thompson will be in the loop along the way.
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