Why The Golden State Warriors Do The Deal
It’s unfortunate when financial motives drive a basketball decision. Truly. In an ideal world, they wouldn’t have to.
Simply put, we don’t live in an ideal world. Draymond Green is on record as stating he feels he’s deserving of a max contract when his current deal expires. The Warriors, as difficult as it may be to swallow, probably can’t afford to give him one.
They could if they were willing to part with one of Jordan Poole or Andrew Wiggins. The former should be a non-starter. He is a 23-year-old with star potential.
On the other hand, Wiggins (27) is five years younger than Green as well and was arguably more important to this most recent Warriors championship run.
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That leaves Green on the block amidst a financial crunch. With that said, the Warriors recoup good value here. Finney-Smith is locked up at $12.4 million a year long-term. He’ll replicate a portion of Green’s defensive versatility while improving the team’s floor spacing, all on a budget.
Meanwhile, Hardaway Jr. is a little more expensive and on a long-term deal as well, but his elite floor-spacing should help the team in 2022-23.
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The Warriors should be able to dump his salary after that to clear space. All told, if they have to flip Green, Finney-Smith and a first-round pick to go with a Tim Hardaway Jr. rental is good value for his services.
