For the first time in years, the Golden State Warriors may be approaching a genuine breaking point with the core that defined their dynasty.
According to Marcus Thompson II, Golden State could consider trading Draymond Green by the 2027 trade deadline if the season goes badly enough to convince the organization that its current structure has run its course.
“This might be the time, like right now, we’re gonna figure out what happens for the next future,” Thompson said. “I think by the trade deadline, we’ll know ‘this is gonna be tough.’ And we could really fully be saying goodbye, right Draymond could be traded at the trade deadline.”
Green has spent his entire NBA career with Golden State. He re-signed with the Warriors this summer on a one-year, $27.7 million contract for the 2026-27 season, making him one of several major veterans whose deals expire next summer.
Jimmy Butler is also entering the final season of his contract, while Stephen Curry is likewise not under contract beyond 2026-27. Golden State’s payroll structure therefore gives the front office an unusual amount of flexibility heading into next offseason. Basketball-Reference currently lists more than $145 million combined in 2026-27 salary between Curry, Butler and Green alone, with none of those three carrying salary into 2027-28.
That financial reality is central to Thompson’s point.
“They’re openly saying, ‘We have a hundred million in expiring contracts. We got flexibility.’ That’s the core players.”
For Thompson, Curry is the exception. He does not expect Golden State to move the face of the franchise under any realistic scenario.
“Steph ain’t going. Steph ain’t going nowhere. Steph’s a lifer. Plus, you gotta sell the tickets, man. Like, where you going? Steph is still one of the top experiences in the NBA just to take in.”
Green, however, could become a different conversation if the Warriors struggle.
At 36, he remains one of the defining players of Golden State’s system, but his expiring contract also gives the front office a cleaner path toward change. If another team views Green as a veteran defender, playmaker and championship presence capable of helping a contender, the Warriors could potentially convert him into future assets rather than simply allowing his contract to expire.
The emotional weight of such a move would be enormous.
Klay Thompson is already gone, meaning a Green trade would reduce the championship trio that transformed Golden State into a dynasty to Curry alone. Green has spent 14 seasons alongside Curry, winning four championships and becoming one of the most important defensive and playmaking figures of the Warriors’ era.
“If Draymond leaves, there’s a sense you could feel like they just might start this thing completely over,” Thompson said.
That does not mean a trade is inevitable. The Warriors have not publicly announced any intention to move Green, and much will depend on how competitive the team looks once the season begins. Golden State also retooled around its veterans this summer, retaining Green while adding and re-signing players including Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton.
But the timeline is unmistakable.
Golden State is carrying one of the NBA’s most expensive rosters this season, yet its long-term books are remarkably clean. The Warriors currently have more than $220 million committed for 2026-27 but only about $61 million committed for the following season.
That gives the franchise options it has not had in years.
If the Warriors remain competitive, Green could finish another season alongside Curry and continue trying to extend the dynasty’s final chapter. If they fall apart, the trade deadline could instead become the moment Golden State finally accepts that the era is over.
