Draymond Green declined his $27.6 million player option on Monday, signaling the Golden State Warriors could be preparing to make some big moves.
ESPN reported Monday that the Warriors needed some financial flexibility if they are going to pursue free agent LeBron James and complete a trade for Anthony Davis with the Washington Wizards.
Green reportedly has indicated to the club that he would be willing to work out a new deal with the Warriors at a lower salary for next season if that meant the team could add crucial pieces to the roster.
James’ longtime associate — Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports — is also the agent for Green and Davis.
Per the report, James would take a pay cut to play for the Warriors. He played last season on the final year of a two-year, $101 million contract with the Lakers, and only Los Angeles could sign him to a deal in that salary range.
ESPN reported the Warriors could offer him a $15.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception.
But money isn’t likely to be the driving force as James decides whether to retire or play a 24th season in the NBA. Already, he has earned $581 million in salary, per Spotrac, and with his side business ventures and endorsements, has a net worth of $1.4 billion, according to Forbes.
What he likely would value the most is the opportunity for a chance to play with Green and Davis, who are reported to be two of his closest friends. James and Curry, after battling it out in four consecutive NBA Finals (2015-18), are said to have become closer in the past few years.
The Lakers had the oldest roster in the 2025-26 season with an average age of 30, according to Basketball Reference statistics. The Warriors were second-oldest at 28.6 years old. The lowest-aged roster in the NBA belonged to the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets at 23.5.
Should the Curry-Green-James-Davis quartet come together, the Warriors could put four players on the court with a combined 13 NBA championships, 48 All-Star selections and 68 seasons.
Curry is 38, Green is 36, James is 41 and Davis 33 — an average age of 37. Should this group come together, the Warriors likely would need to trade 36-year-old Jimmy Butler to the Wizards as part of the NBA-required salary balance. However, ESPN reported that Butler has been informed by the team they would prefer to retain him.
The foursome have seen a combined 4,447 games and over 152,000 minutes in the NBA. Per player:
— Curry: 1,069 games, 36,304 minutes, 17 seasons
— Green : 949 games, 27,151 minutes, 14 seasons
— James: 1,622 games, 61,030 minutes, 23 seasons
— Davis: 807 games, 27,741 minutes, 14 seasons
–Field Level Media
