Draymond Green not guaranteed to return to Warriors next season

Draymond Green enters the offseason with a decision to make regarding his future. The veteran forward has a $27.6 million player option on his contract for next season. If Green declines that option, he'll become an unrestricted free agent; if he chooses to opt in, his free agency will be pushed to the summer of 2027. From the outside looking in, Green's best-case scenario would be to opt out and sign a new multi-year deal to remain in the Bay Area.

During a recent appearance on 95.7 The Game, ESPN's Anthony Slater noted how Green's future with Golden State isn't guaranteed. The defensive star could find himself as part of a trade package for a star, or he could opt out and not receive an offer that meets his expectations.

"They're going to figure that out," Slater said of Green's current situation. "I mean, to me, that's a June conversation. I reported it, you know, in the aftermath of the Kerr contract. This is not, this doesn't guarantee. Draymond Green is back. His $27. 6 million salary potentially could be used in a trade. It's one of the tools at their disposal. They no longer have that Kuminga contract, right? And the Porzingis stuff is unsettled. So if you're going to execute a large-scale trade, as we saw at the deadline, with the Giannis conversations, his (Green's) name has to be in the mix, number one."

Slater then continued to dissect the options available to both Golden State and Green himself.

"Number two, from my understanding, if the team side is to agree to a player option decline-and-extend it likes a three-year type number, it's got to be something that lowers the dollar amount to a point that it helps them get a piece now. There has to be some immediate benefit to them. If not, Draymond Green might just take the player option and be on an expiring $27. 6 million contract, and they figure out his future later. I mean, that's not that bad of a result for Draymond because 27 is a solid amount at this stage of his career."