Back in 2023, Draymond Green said that he wanted to “be a Warrior for the rest of my life.” Three years later, he gave a noticeably different tone about his future in the Bay Area.

Green addressed the terms of his new one-year, $27.7 million deal with the Golden State Warriors on his podcast.

“I pretty much resigned; not pretty much, I did resign for the same amount that I opted out of,” Green said on the Draymond Green Show. “Obviously there was hope that we would land a guy with the mid-level slot that didn’t happen, so I opted back in a sense to my deal.”

“You know, it was kind of no other reason to not do that,” he continued. “It was reported that I did not receive the no-trade clause; no, I didn’t. I think it was something that we could have fought over, but it wasn’t worth fighting over. You know, I think if the Warriors want to trade me at some point of the season, they want to trade me. I’ve never been a guy who wants to stay somewhere where I’m not wanted.”

Draymond Green waived his no-trade protection in exchange for a 15% trade kicker, and per Spotrac, he can’t be dealt before Dec. 15, 2026 anyway under standard NBA rules. It’s a notable concession for a franchise cornerstone entering his 15th season, one that can be traced directly back to why he opted out in the first place.

His explanation aligns with reports that surfaced throughout free agency. ESPN insider Shams Charania reported that the Warriors initially declined Green’s player option, creating additional financial flexibility as they pursued upgrades using the mid-level exception before ultimately bringing the veteran forward back once those plans failed to materialize.

The Dubs later moved toward retaining much of its championship core, including re-signing De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II, while reportedly continuing discussions with veteran free agents.

Green’s decision to decline his option in June wasn’t about testing the market for himself. It was about clearing space for Golden State to chase LeBron James in free agency, with Anthony Davis floated as a trade target too. Neither happened as James ultimately signed with Philadelphia, and Davis stayed in Washington, leaving the Warriors to give Green’s old deal back to him.

Green has been in trade conversations once this year, when GSW explored a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo at the deadline. For now, it is a “partnership that works, if it works” for the one-time DPOY and the Warriors, and if ” it doesn’t, it doesn’t,” he concluded.