The move could open the door for the Warriors to chase LeBron James and Anthony Davis this summer.
Draymond Green said no to $27.7 million on Sunday, which only makes sense if something much bigger is in the works.
The 36-year-old forward declined his player option for the 2026-27 season, becoming an unrestricted free agent a day before free agency opens.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported the news and noted that "this move gives the Warriors flexibility to pursue LeBron James in free agency and Anthony Davis via trade to form a Big 4."
Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy had said just last week that the team expected Green to opt in, making the timing all the more telling.
Green is not expected to leave Golden State, and the expectation is he re-signs at a lower annual number on a longer deal, freeing up cap space for what comes next.
Golden State finished 37-45 this past season, and the front office has been vocal about wanting to reshape the roster around Stephen Curry before his window closes.
Why This Signals Something Bigger
The key detail is that Rich Paul of Klutch Sports represents Green, James and Davis.
One agent working with all three players points toward a coordinated effort, and Green taking less money so the Warriors can unlock the non-taxpayer mid-level exception worth roughly $15 million fits perfectly if the main target is James, who averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds across 60 games this past season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
James is an unrestricted free agent for the first time since 2018, and the Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly not put a contract offer in front of him with the market opening Tuesday.
Charania also reported that LeBron James would only come to the Warriors in a “package deal” with Anthony Davis, with Golden State trading Jimmy Butler and picks to land AD.
The Lakers have been building around Luka Doncic and see their future going elsewhere, which opens the door for Golden State.
The Warriors and James already share a bond from the 2024 Olympics, where he, Curry, Davis and head coach Steve Kerr won gold together.
How the Warriors Could Get Davis
Anthony Davis is the harder part of this plan.
Davis posted 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in 20 games this season before a finger injury shut him down, and he carries a $58.4 million salary that lines up well with Jimmy Butler's $56.8 million expiring contract.
That near-match is how the Warriors would make a trade work, though they would still need to send draft picks alongside Butler, with two future first-rounders and four first-round swaps available.
Whether Washington even wants to deal Davis remains the biggest hurdle since the Wizards just took AJ Dybantsa first overall and could view him as a piece to build around rather than move.
A third team might need to get involved if the Wizards do not want Butler coming off a torn ACL, adding layers to a deal that is already tricky enough.
The Warriors have not been shy about swinging big this offseason, and Green's opt-out is the strongest sign yet that Golden State is going all in on one last championship push with Curry.
