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After Draymond Green’s $27,600,000 Rejection, Stephen A. Smith Evaluates 6ft 6″ Star’s Worth at $200,000,000

Rishabh Bhatnagar
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After Draymond Green's $27,600,000 Rejection, Stephen A. Smith Evaluates 6ft 6" Star's Worth at $200,000,000

Golden State Warriors ace Draymond Green recently decided to opt out of a $27.6 million player option. Green was on a 4-year contract with a player option for the 2023-24 season when he would have earned more than $27 million. However, his decision has resulted in Green becoming an unrestricted free agent, although this does not mean he is leaving the Warriors. According to Stephen Smith via First Take, Green completely deserves more than the $100 million that he is currently getting paid, despite the 4-time NBA champion’s involvement in multiple controversies over the past season or two.

Green’s decision to opt-out is based on his belief that he is worth more than what he is being paid. At the age of 33, the defensively-inclined power forward might never get another chance to guarantee himself a huge payday.

Stephen Smith explains why Draymond Green is worth more than what the Warriors are paying

Green’s statistics do not reveal the sheer value that he has brought to the Warriors in recent years. Along with Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, Green is the most important part of the Warriors’ dynasty.

While Thompson and Curry are two of the best offensive players in the NBA, Draymond Green does a tremendous job on defense for the Warriors. His determination and tenacity make him much more valuable than what his stats suggest. And that is an opinion Stephen A Smith can’t help but clamor about. Take a look at his thoughts in the tweet by First Take below.

“Draymond Green is easily worth another $100m…it’s not just about offense, is it? Draymond is one of the elite defensive players in this game….one of the elite basketball minds in this game – the synergy he has with Steph Curry…he doesn’t even have to look where he is throwing the basketball. He just has to throw to spots….Draymond Green deserves a three to four-year extension averaging $27m to $30m,

Smith used the example of Karl Anthony-Towns, who recently signed a supermax extension with the Timberwolves. Definitely, a stray shot fired in the center’s direction. However, to be fair to Smith, one that adds to his argument brilliantly.

Draymond Green is more valuable to the Warriors than what his contract suggests

The past season did not go well for Draymond Green and the Warriors. He averaged just 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists and was hardly as influential for his team as he has been in recent years.

Green’s loaded CV might not include any offensive awards. However, he won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017 and is a 4-time All-Star with a total of 8 All-Defensive team appearances.

Green’s time with the Warriors might be coming to an end. However, he has already cemented his legacy and has been just as valuable as the likes of Thompson and Stephen Curry, for the Golden State Warriors.

About the author

Rishabh Bhatnagar

Rishabh Bhatnagar

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Rishabh Bhatnagar is a Senior NBA Writer at The SportsRush. A lifelong NBA fan, Rishabh has been working as an NBA journalist since 2017. Before joining The SportsRush, he covered the NBA for another popular media platform. Rishabh is a bona fide NBA Historian specializing in uncovering stories from the league's past. He also likes covering trade rumors and player contracts. Rishabh has written almost 800 articles for The SportsRush and is always on the lookout for intriguing NBA stories. He is also a published novelist and an ardent Lakers fan.

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