NBA NEWS

Green wants more green, talks off with Warriors

The Sports Xchange

July 01, 2015 at 4:07 pm.

Green, who put up a triple-double in the NBA Finals, did a little bit of everything for the Warriors. Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Restricted free agent Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors, unable to complete a long-term deal, halted contract negotiations Wednesday, according to multiple published reports.

Green was scheduled to meet with team officials Tuesday, and both sides were geared toward a contract to keep the entire Warriors’ roster intact with one exception: unrestricted free agent point guard Leandro Barbosa.

But now Green could visit other teams, including the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, with the finances to get Green out of Oakland.

Signing Green to a five-year, $90.67 million contract would put the Warriors well into the luxury tax. At the start of business Tuesday, the NBA champions were $10 million below the cap.

Other teams can offer Green a max deal of four years, $67.3 million. The Knicks, Detroit Pistons and Mavericks are thought to be interested in Green. ESPN reported he is looking for a five-year, $70 million deal in line with what the Milwaukee Bucks gave Khris Middleton.

Green, who put up a triple-double in the NBA Finals, did a little bit of everything for the Warriors. He finished as runner-up to Chicago Bulls restricted free agent shooting guard Jimmy Butler for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award and was also second in voting for Defensive Player of the Year (Kawhi Leonard, Spurs).

Under terms of the collective bargaining agreement, Green is eligible for a contract with a maximum base salary of $15.8 milion next season.

The Warriors could create a cash exception by trading forward David Lee, whose contract expires after next season, but Golden State will be required under league trade protocol to take similar contract value in return.