As Draymond Green considers whether or not to pick up his $27.6MM player option for 2023/24, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made it clear on Tuesday that he wants the veteran forward on Golden State’s roster next season, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com.
“Look, if Draymond is not back, we’re not a championship contender,” Kerr said. “We know that. He’s that important to winning and to who we are. I absolutely want him back.”
As Andrews relays, Kerr told reporters that he and Green haven’t spoken since the Warriors’ season ended last week, but he expects to talk to him soon and is confident that the 33-year-old will want to stay with the team.
While Kerr hopes Green will remain with the Warriors, the head coach also stressed that Draymond’s punch of Jordan Poole during training camp negatively impacted the level of trust and chemistry within the locker room entering this season. The club isn’t prepared to sweep that under the rug, according to Kerr, who said that rebuilding the organizational culture will be a top priority this offseason.
“He knows that he also compromised things by what happened back in October,” Kerr said. “So part of him coming back next year has to be about rebuilding some of that trust and respect that he’s earned here for a long period of time.”
Here’s more on the Warriors, including additional comments from Kerr:
- Kerr referred to Bob Myers‘ decision about whether or not to remain in his role of president of basketball operations as a crucial one for the future of the Warriors, per Andrews. “Bob is such an important part of our organization,” Kerr said. “I absolutely hope he comes back, but it’s also a case where I want what’s best for Bob, and if he decides that he’s going to leave, of course, I’m going to support him 100 percent. … I would miss him, but I support him regardless of what he does.”
- Reports last week indicated that the Warriors may not view Jordan Poole as a member of the team’s long-term core going forward. However, Kerr said on Tuesday that he believes Poole is a “foundational” member of the team whose growth will be a key factor in Golden State’s progress in the coming years, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “He helped us win a lot of games. He helped us win a championship a year ago,” Kerr said. “He would be the first to admit it wasn’t his best season. But that’s how these things go. That’s how careers go. As his coach, it’s my job to help him get better and help him really find his groove and find a good comfort zone next year.”
- Kerr, who has one year remaining on his contract with the Warriors, suggested on Tuesday that he hasn’t begun discussing a contract extension with the team (Twitter video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). Kerr added that he’s in “no rush” to push for those talks, since he recognizes that the franchise needs resolution on Myers’ situation first. “Our organization has a lot to sort through this summer,” he said (link via Slater). “My contract situation is not, nor should it be, at the top of the list. Right now Bob’s contract situation is number one because that influences a lot of the player decisions that have to be made, contracts, draft, free agency.”
Draymond has to be one of the hardest players ever to properly evaluate. He’s a fantastic defender, and he fits the Warriors’ system perfectly. But he’s never played for anyone else, or even in any other system. All we can really do there is speculate. Every Lakers fan should be glad he doesn’t want to join them, though. He fits their system about as well as Russ did, and they already have Vanderbilt.
How is your first sentence so correct but you end up comparing Draymond with…Russell Westbrook??? Bro, Draymond hates scoring and the Lakers are chipping with Lebron/AD/Dray.
Dray’s IQ is the highest in the league outside of Lebron, Russell’s is one of the lowest in the game. What an awful comparison. Instead of saying “Dray has never played anywhere else” lets point that at Steve Kerr, who had never coached any basketball team without Steph Curry on it before, yet he’s some “genius” because Steph, Draymond Klay relentlessly bailed him out for a decade? Nope, wrong. Kerr is the weakest link in GSW by a long, long way.
Keep jamming on, Keyboard Warrior. You missing the point of my post and twisting what I said to support stuff I wasn’t even talking about is just so on-brand.
Draymond in a non-shooter, non-scorer, turnover-prone, foul-prone player. All but the scoring he has in common with Westbrook. None of that is what the Lakers want. He has his good points, absolutely. But the Lakers wouldn’t make good use of them.
Not even touching the second part. Everyone knows better. Get new material.
For what it’s worth I think the Russell Westbrook comp is a pretty good one. Draymond probably a little worse at scoring but a little better at controlling the interior with defense/rebounds. The caveat is that Westbook has more points because he takes way more shots. Draymond is much smarter about his shot selection, which I would personally prefer.
And I agree he wouldn’t fit in LA. But I think he would fit in a lot of the perimeter heavy teams like Boston, Sacramento, and Phoenix
I could see him fitting in Sacramento over Barnes, which is hilarious given how much he and Draymond apparently dislike each other. Phoenix, maybe. But I don’t think they can afford him unless GS agrees to a S&T in exchange for Ayton. Boston would be an awesome fit, but I dislike them. Still, if they want to replace Horford, Green is a solid choice.
Analytics hate his profile. A 12 PER for 27 million might be the worst value in the league so the above comment is very accurate. How do you properly gauge the value of a player like Dray? I wouldn’t want to be committing much term at this point.
PER really isn’t a good way to evaluate Draymond; it tends to really hate low-efficiency shooters. BPM and VORP are both better, and both rate him as a clear positive. It all depends on what things you look at specifically. I don’t think Draymond is any worse, but everyone around him except Steph is, or got hurt. Or both.
BPM is slanted towards any given teams pace of play. EPM takes that into account.
Interesting, I didn’t know that. What’s the best place to look for EPM?
link to dunksandthrees.com
Thanks!
You gauge by rings – which is something idiots online hate to do.
Living in the past is what gave your team a 2nd round exit. The glory days are over buddy
This is a big off season for the warriors. They must make some big moves this off season. Poole should be nervous come July when he can be traded. What Green does in free agency will determine what the warriors will do.
Everyone is staying with the exception of Wiggins and picks being swapped for Lebron. GSW will then trade Poole on next years draft night, so Bronny will then join GSW.
Things that will never happen part 1.
While you’re at it why not predict a trade of Patrick Baldwin for Giannis?
@Uwe Blab – the money doesnt match, Baldwin is a prospect, Wiggins is an All-Star. Weird you would go to that extreme, just because I triggered you into being scared of a lineup that has Lebron+Splash Bros+Dray.
Cry all you want, but it has a chance of happening. Draymond was never going to the Lakers to play with Bron, Bron is going to GSW to play with him.
No young man I was not triggered. I was mocking your ridiculous trade prediction with one that was even more ridiculous.
Agree. The warrior’s saying they can’t win a championship without him doesn’t help the negotiating. It really comes down to draymond. Warriors need to cut salary these next two years with new cba rules. They will need klay and dray to take team friendly deals especially with how they are starting to slow down some.
Steph, Dray and Klay are 100% going to restructure their contracts so Steve Kerr can’t play 2-way scrubs anymore. We need to stack this roster with veterans that Kerr likes, or get rid of Kerr and have all free agents want to play here again, after KD told everyone what a nightmare Kerr was to play for.
Also “slow down some” – that’s a blatant lie. Klay, Dray and Steph sped up this year, if anything, even Poole had a career best PPG. Everyone hates the Warriors so much they forget they are all actually insanely good and Curry/Klay/Dray are still right smack in the middle of their primes.
Insanely good…at losing in the 2nd round lmao
If you still talk about your own defending champs like that, you might as well write “Im a 5 year old who doesnt know anything about hoops”, because that’s the honest truth.
Just admit you hate us and are only here to troll.
They’re not the “defending” champs if they aren’t actually able to defend anything. I think the word you’re looking for is “has-been”, or “washed up.” Lakers and Celtics both have more titles and are both still playing. They’re more “defending” in that sense than GSW. Just facts. #truthBomb
Nope. Not a “Truth bomb” – just another lie from another butthurt cretin who Curry owns his fave team and he trolls GSW fans for no reason. Sucks to suck!
Listen. No matter what you think or say, the Golden State Warriors are OUR defending champions for another couple weeks at least. The fact you are denying that shows a severe lack of knowledge or respect for the game or this website. Why arent you banned yet? You have no valid opinions, its pure reactionary loser-speak from someones whos fave team lost to GSW. Sour grapes, lil guy!
This is a really bizarre fantasy, even for you.
Why dont you go make a post of your own for once, you cowardly little reply guy
You need to accept the fact that if you post absolute nonsense like this in a public forum that you are going to get called out. This is not your personal fantasies about Curry diary. The Warriors lost to the ghost of Lebron, and Street Clothes. It was a pathetic and embarrassing showing, and it reflects on you as a Steph Curry groupie.
La ventana está Cerrada ……. Over
Poole can find his groove in another city. Most overrated player in NBA …….