Restricted free agent Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors are working toward a deal to keep Green from reaching the open market at the stroke of midnight Tuesday.
Green was scheduled to meet with team officials Tuesday, and both sides are geared toward a contract that will keep the entire Warriors’ roster intact with one exception: unrestricted free agent point guard Leandro Barbosa.
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 New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks are thought to be interested in Green if he is still available Wednesday.
Green, who put up a triple-double in the NBA Finals, does 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.