7 Harsh realities of the Golden State Warriors offseason

Harsh Reality #3: The Warriors paid Draymond Green for his past performance.

After months of speculation about Green’s future with the Warriors, they brought him back on a four-year, $100 million deal. At 33, it’s clear that Green isn’t the same player that he once was, but he still proved his worth during their playoff run. Had Golden State opted to bring him back on a two-year deal worth $50 million, that would have been good value, but by tacking on another two years and adding $50 million to his contract, they paid for past performance.

Bringing back Green likely meant that the team was forced to overpay to keep their championship core together. In theory, that is fine for such an important player. Then again, it was unclear what other team was willing or able to offer him a contract worth more than the mid-level exception.

Worse yet, it provides a precedent that can be used during contract negotiations between Thompson and the Warriors. Thompson is slightly older, and despite coming off a resurgent season, he also previously had two significant injuries. If Green can get a four-year deal out of Golden State, Thompson could ask for a max contract for the same length.

Even if he agrees to a three-year max deal, it will lock the team into an aging core for the next three years, assuming Curry re-signs as well. Paying three aging stars big money past their mid-thirties is risky, to say the least, and had they chosen to give Green a shorter deal, it would have given them an out.