Draymond Green Soft Launches Warriors' Next Superstar Pursuit

Speaking on his podcast Thursday, Draymond Green hinted at the Warriors pursuing Nikola Jokic.

"Got the Joker coming into Dub Nation, San Francisco," Green said. "There's been a lot of talk about Joker in San Francisco as of late, I've been reading. I'm sure they'll be a ton of talk by then, by Christmas Day, depending on how the teams are doing."

Jokic is making $59 million this season and has a player option for $62.8 million in 2027-28.

He has said he plans to re-sign with Nuggets next summer, which would make him eligible for a five-year, $359.5 million deal.

But if Jokic were to have wandering eyes, the Warriors would be ready to pounce.

Warriors Set Up for Max Contract Space in 2027 Offseason

The Dubs have just four players under guaranteed contracts next season, and those players will make a combined $27.3 million. Even if De'Anthony Melton and Al Horford exercise their player options, the Warriors will have about $40 million committed.

This could all change if the Dubs make a trade for an expensive star this season, but if they don't, Plan A will be to go on a free-agency spending spree and re-sign Stephen Curry to make a big push next season.

Jokic would be the dream option of Plan A, though I wrote here why it's unrealistic.

Other possible 2027 free agents who could interest the Warriors include Jimmy Butler, Anthony Davis (player option), Karl-Anthony Towns (player option), Zach LaVine, Brandon Ingram (player option) and Tyler Herro.

How Green Would Fit into This

It is interesting that Green is still recruiting players to the Warriors considering his contract setup.

He's on a one-year deal worth $27.7 million that could be used as a trade money-matcher. And even in the scenario that he makes it through the season with Golden State, he should understand that the Warriors' plan for a 2027 makeover might not include him.

The first variable to Green's future is seeing how he performs in 2026-27. If he has a more impactful season than he did in 2025-26, the Warriors would surely have more interest in keeping him for at least one more season.

If he declines more, he might be in the "veteran minimum contract" stage of his career. The Warriors could convince themselves he's a value at that price, or they could be ready to move on and let younger players get his frontcourt minutes.

It's way too early to guess how it will play out.

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