"F**k, no. I'm not coming there" - Draymond Green on how 5x All-Star turned down chance to join Warriors after being recruited by Golden State forward last offseason
Draymond Green tried to bring DeMar DeRozan to the Golden State Warriors last season. Green urged the five-time All-Star to come and join the Warriors to win a championship. DeRozan, however, decided to sign with the Chicago Bulls.
DeRozan was a guest on a recent episode of "The Draymond Green Show" podcast. The two discussed Green's efforts to bring him to Golden State, which ranged from checking in on him to actively recruiting. At the end of the day, Green's efforts were fruitless as DeRozan agreed to join the Bulls, with the San Antonio Spurs arranging a sign-and-trade deal.
Green detailed how he attempted to get the former Raptor to California only to be met with a strict "f**k no".
"The conversation turned to 'Come to the Warriors' and you were like, 'F**k, no. I'm not coming there. I'm not coming to play with y'all,'" Green said.
DeRozan, meanwhile, almost became a member of the LA Lakers last summer. The deal fell through, which put the 32-year-old in a bad place. He explained how he began questioning his abilities and the process of free agency.
"I started to question myself, like, 'Where am I going now? What player am I going to be?'" DeRozan said. "Big names usually sign on the first day or two. I went into free agency with such a question mark. Was I going to go somewhere on a one-year deal, was I going to take the minimum?"
At the end of the day, DeRozan signed a three-year, $82 million deal with the Bulls.
He also had the best season of his career, averaging 27.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists. He was in the MVP conversation throughout the season, but the Bulls faltered down the stretch.
Will Draymond Green get a new contract from the Warriors?
DeMar DeRozan got paid big money last summer, but will his good friend Draymond Green also receive a handy payout? Green is eligible to sign a max extension worth $162 million early next month. However, it seems like the Warriors are not interested in giving him that kind of money.
According to Marcus Thompson and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Green will explore free agency next summer if he does not get a max deal. The four-time All-Star believes that he deserves the money and could get it from another NBA team.
Extension season is coming and the Warriors have to make some tough decisions that could come with major ramifications.
They begin next week with a championship pillar in Draymond Green, who wants to get paid.
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The Warriors have a lot of decisions to make this offseason. Green is not the only player on their roster eligible for an extension. Klay Thompson is also due one, along with Andrew Wiggins. Jordan Poole has until October to sign his rookie max deal or he becomes a restricted free agent next offseason.
The ideal scenario for the Warriors is to re-sign Green and Thompson to discounted deals. Wiggins and Poole are younger players who could be part of the next generation of the dynasty. However, Steph Curry will likely be unhappy if one or two of the "Big 3" decides to leave Golden State.