NBA Notes: Warriors, Draymond Green, Knicks, Mitchell Robinson, Sixers

Warriors

Warriors forward Draymond Green may hold one of the more important financial decisions of Golden State’s offseason.

According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Warriors could benefit greatly if Green declines his $27.7 million player option and agrees to a smaller annual salary on a new multi-year contract.

Marks proposed a two-year, $40 million deal that would start Green around $19.2 million next season before increasing to $20.8 million in Year 2.

Why would Golden State want that structure? Flexibility.

Lowering Green’s cap number would allow the Warriors to access their full $15 million non-tax midlevel exception while also lining Green’s deal up with coach Steve Kerr’s remaining contract timeline.

Of course, there’s another layer here.

Marks noted Green likely would not restructure immediately if the Warriors still believed they had a legitimate shot at trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo or another superstar. Green’s current salary would be far more useful in matching money in a blockbuster deal.

“Maybe you opt out and do a longer deal,” Green recently told ESPN. “Maybe you opt in and extend.”

Either way, the Warriors appear headed toward another complicated balancing act around Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Green.

Knicks

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson may have played himself into a much larger payday.

Marks compared Robinson’s potential market to the extension Steven Adams signed with Houston, projecting a three-year, $39 million contract at roughly $13 million annually.

The challenge for New York? The second apron.

The Knicks currently sit about $13 million below that threshold with multiple roster spots still needing attention. Bringing back Robinson on anything beyond a minimum-type deal could push New York deeper into dangerous financial territory unless additional moves follow.

On the court, Robinson remains enormously impactful when healthy.

According to Cleaning the Glass numbers cited by Marks, the Knicks outscored opponents by 6.7 points per 100 possessions with Robinson on the floor this season. He also remained one of the NBA’s elite offensive rebounders despite averaging fewer than 20 minutes a game.

The downside, of course, remains the free-throw shooting.

Marks noted Robinson owns the lowest postseason free-throw percentage in NBA history among players with at least 100 attempts.

Still, the Knicks value his defense, rebounding and chemistry alongside Jalen Brunson. That much seems pretty obvious.

76ers

Sixers wing Kelly Oubre Jr. may finally be positioned for the payday he has spent years chasing.

Marks projected a three-year, $40.5 million contract for Oubre, including a player option in the final season.

Honestly, that would represent a major jump financially for a player who signed a one-year, $2.9 million prove-it deal with Philadelphia in 2023 before later agreeing to a modest two-year, $12 million contract.

Oubre has quietly outperformed both deals.

Over the past three seasons, he has averaged at least 14 points while starting the majority of games he played. He also improved his outside shooting considerably this past year, connecting on 36 percent from deep after struggling badly the previous season.

“I’ve averaged 20 points in this league and still found myself barely getting any contracts,” Oubre said recently.

Now, at age 30, he could finally cash in.

Philadelphia would like to keep him. But teams like the Nets, Bulls, Pistons and Lakers are among the clubs expected to have interest as well.