Draymond Green has reached another contract crossroads, but unlike three years ago, there appears to be very little suspense around how this one will end. While the Warriors have left the decision entirely in Green’s hands, the organization is already preparing its offseason under one clear expectation.

That expectation isn’t simply about whether Green will exercise his $27.6 million player option before Sunday’s deadline. According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, it also reflects how Golden State wants to navigate the next phase of its roster building around Stephen Curry. Speaking on 95.7 The Game, Slater reported on the current expectation surrounding Green’s June 29 deadline.

“The expectation from the team as of recently was he is going to opt into $27.6 million,” Slater said on 95.7 The Game show. “Now there’s a world in which he would get a decline and extend, and that is where his first-year salary lowering helps them swing a move to enhance the roster. If the question is just would they rather have him on three-for-whatever versus one for $27 million, the answer seems to be one for $27 million. And that’s not an amount of money Draymond Green is going to give up.”

Slater added that while a decline-and-extend scenario remains possible, it would only make sense if lowering Green’s first-year salary directly created enough financial room for a meaningful roster upgrade.

From the Warriors’ perspective, the higher one-year salary is easier to live with than another long-term commitment. Allowing Green’s contract to expire next summer preserves financial flexibility, keeps a sizable expiring contract available if another star becomes available and gives the front office far more options as Curry approaches another contract decision in 2027.

The biggest speculation came when Golden State explored scenarios involving Giannis Antetokounmpo. Reports from multiple insiders indicated that Green’s contract would likely have been necessary in any blockbuster package because of salary-matching rules.

Green also made it clear the speculation never bothered him. Speaking after his name surfaced in trade discussions, the four-time champion acknowledged it felt strange after spending his entire NBA career in Golden State but added that he understood “this is a business” and said he would be comfortable with whatever decision gave the Warriors “the best chance to win.”

Why the Warriors Aren’t Rushing Into an Extension

The question the Warriors’ fanbase is asking is whether Green opting in is just a way of managing a farewell season. Slater stated that “there’s a desire still, if everything breaks right, for Draymond to finish and retire as a Warrior. But I think they would be fine just going into unrestricted free agency next year and seeing what his market would potentially be.”

If Green performs at a level that warrants another deal, Golden State will be open to having that conversation next summer from a position of greater financial flexibility than they would have if they committed to a multi-year extension now.

GM Dunleavy spoke on the issue, saying: “We have had discussions where we want him to finish his career a Warrior. He kind of feels the same way. I would expect him to be back, but it’s his call on that.”

Green is not expected to walk away from $27.6 million to seek a deal elsewhere, where the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of approximately $15 million would likely represent his ceiling.

With the deadline arriving on Sunday, the roster if Green opts in includes Curry at $62.6 million, Butler at $56.8 million, Green at $27.6 million, and Moses Moody at $12.5 million, a core that, once Butler returns from his ACL recovery, gives Steve Kerr the experienced team he has always operated best with.