Now that they struck out on LeBron James, the Golden State Warriors are bringing back one of their mainstays.
The team and forward Draymond Green agreed Tuesday, July 28 to a one-year, $27.7 million contract, a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly disclose terms of the deal.
ESPN was first to report the news of Green returning to the Warriors.
The contract is exactly the same amount Green would’ve earned in his player option, which he declined in late June. The arrangement suggests that Green opted out to offer financial flexibility for the Warriors to pursue other players, like James, in free agency and trades.
Golden State, however, could not land James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, after James announced Friday, July 24 he would be signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Golden State also missed out on the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, after the Bucks ended up trading him to the Miami Heat.
What does Draymond Green’s deal mean?
In fact, Golden State is the only team in the NBA to not add a player through a trade or free agency this offseason, which represents something of a failure for a team that did not qualify for the postseason.
The Warriors did select former Michigan standout Yaxel Lendeborg with the No. 11 overall pick, but the Warriors will now try to straddle the line between building for the future — with Green at 36 years old, Stephen Curry at 38 and Jimmy Butler (who is coming off a torn ACL) at 36 — and competing right now.
Yet, as the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder remain poised to contend, and as teams like the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves remain steady, Golden State’s aging roster may find it difficult to match the play of those squads.
Draymond Green stats
A four-time All-Star and four-time NBA champ, Green averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists across 68 games this season for Golden State. Known for his defensive prowess, Green is a nine-time All-Defensive selection.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Draymond Green contract with Warriors: Details, what re-signing means for Golden State
