As expected, the Golden State Warriors locked up Jordan Poole to a rookie extension, two days ahead of Monday’s deadline.
Poole’s deal kicks in for the 2023-24 season and contains $123 million in guaranteed money, plus $17 million in incentives. But the unexpected extension happened a few hours later, when they extended All-Star forward Andrew Wiggins, a year before he hit free agency.
A former No. 1 pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wiggins turned his career around with the Warriors, starting the All-Star game last year and emerging as the Warriors second-best player during their title run. Now he and Poole are both signed through the 2026-27 season.
This leaves the Warriors with just one pending free agent, Draymond Green, who can opt out of his contract next summer. Green first requested a maximum contract extension, then announced he didn’t expect one, so he would be betting on himself. But the situation may have changed after he viciously punched Poole during practice next week.
If Green were to opt into his $27.6 million for next year, the Warriors’ payroll and tax penalties would be a whopping $483 million for 2023-24, which is more than Joe Lacob and Peter Guber spent when they bought the team in 2010, for $450 million.
The team has spent freely in the past, but spending almost half a billion might be too much, even for the Warriors. As unthinkable as it is to imagine the Warriors letting Green walk, doing so would save them his $27 million in salary plus $173 million in tax penalties. Plus, he punches people.
There are other options the Warriors could look at, like trading James Wiseman and his $12 million salary. As it stands, though, Green is looking like the odd man out.
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