Basketball Wiretap

Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors have agreed to a one-year, $27.7 million contract. The deal doesn't contain a no-trade clause.

Green turned down his $27.6 million player option with the Warriors for the 2026-27 season on the eve of free agency to give the team flexibility in case they could reach agreement with LeBron James. James decided last Friday to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, which paved the way for this agreement between Green and the Warriors to be reached.

Green's future with the Warriors was uncertain in February amid trade conversations with the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Warriors didn't circle back around to those talks this offseason. 

Green has spent the past 14 seasons with the Warriors, which only trails teammate Stephen Curry for the longest active streak with one team in the NBA.

The Denver Nuggets have offered Peyton Watson a five-year, $70 million contract in restricted free agency. The Nuggets value Watson but they are facing severe luxury tax issues unless they are able to trade away a player or two and get below the second apron.

Watson has presumably been anchored to the five-year, $125 million contract extension that Christian Braun signed with the Nuggets last October. Watson went on to outplay Braun last season.

There have been multiple teams who have made sign-and-trade offers in order to acquire Watson with the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks linked to the wing.

Watson averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks over 54 games last season.

Watson has become one of the best recent Nuggets draft picks, giving Denver a young wing archetype that is difficult to find across the league. Watson is represented by Rich Paul, Calvin Andrews and Lucas Newton of Klutch Sports.

The New Orleans Pelicans are showing interest in LA Clippers restricted free agent guard Bennedict Mathurin. Another mystery suitor has also shown interest in Mathurin.

With the Pelicans well above the salary cap, Mathurin's potential path to New Orleans would have to be via sign-and-trade. The Pelicans could also explore salary-shedding trades to open up the full Non-Taxpayer MLE to offer the four-year veteran.

Mathurin spent the first three-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Indiana Pacers before being traded to the Clippers ahead of last season's trade deadline. The 6-foot-5 guard has averaged 16.2 points and 4.7 rebounds for his career.

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors remain on track to sign a contract extension this offseason as both sides have interest in a deal. Curry will be eligible to sign for as much as $136.7 million over two years in August.

The interest remains despite the Warriors missing out on a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo at the deadline in February and signing LeBron James in free agency.

"I fully expect there to be contract extension talks when he's eligible," said Shams Charania on Monday's episode of the Stephen A. Smith Show. "I believe it's in late August that they're going to discuss an extension, whether it's a one-year or two-year extension that he's eligible for.

"They're going to give him one if he wants one. To my knowledge, I think there's going to be a desire on his part, too. So there's mutual interest there. I think Stephen Curry understands with this organization that they're at a crossroads.

"They've gone after a bunch of stars over the years. OG Anunoby a few seasons ago they went after. They went after Alex Caruso one year. That's just from a high-level role player, rotation player, starter level. But then they've made swings for Giannis. They made swings for LeBron [James]. They made a swing for Kevin Durant that was highly publicized a couple of seasons ago. So they've swung and missed multiple times ever since that championship in 2022. They've not been able to get back to that mountain top.

They did get Jimmy Butler, though, and I think that was that one card that they had where they could say, 'Hey, as long as we have Jimmy, Steph, and Draymond [Green], we have a shot to compete in the Western Conference.'

"The tough part is Jimmy Butler is going to miss a majority of next season. Moses Moody's going to miss a majority of next season. That's around $70 million in players sidelined for a majority of the season. I don't care what team you are: if you have that much money on the shelf not playing, you are in trouble.

"And so, this is just a team that right now is at a crossroads. They're somewhat stagnant. I don't know what move they can make without gutting their future. And you have a guy in Stephen Curry, late 30s; Draymond Green, you know, also later stages of his career. Are you going to gut your future unless it's a player that you feel like... they would have given up their four first-round picks for Giannis, right? Giannis, 31 years old, you get him in his prime, you do it. The Bucks didn't want to do that deal; they wanted to go pursue a deal with Boston or Miami. They ended up doing the deal with Miami.

So, it's not like the Warriors haven't tried. They just haven't had the necessary pieces to get a deal done. And so, it must be tough if you're Stephen Curry. It must be tough that you want to compete for a championship like a LeBron James in the later years of your career, but you want to do it in Golden State. I've not sensed any feel that he wants to leave Golden State. And if he is going to stay in Golden State, which I fully expect, then you're going to have to deal with the lumps that come with it."

The Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics held discussions at the trade deadline on a Jaylen Brown deal. The Warriors could have revisited those conversations in June when the Celtics aggressively shopped him and eventually traded Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers. The acquisition of Brown helped the Sixers land LeBron James in free agency.

The Warriors also could have possibly signed James had they traded for Anthony Davis. 

"The Warriors could have gotten in the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes if they wanted to give up four first-round picks in that range," said Shams Charania on Monday's episode of the Stephen A. Smith Show. "They decided not to, from my understanding. Those two teams, the Warriors and Celtics, did talk about a Jaylen Brown trade around the trade deadline, and it was around several first-round draft picks and potential swap and seconds.

"The Warriors decided not to go down that route. And so that's on them. That's the decision they made, but what if they had gone out and got that done? Does that make LeBron James more viable? What if the Warriors had gone out and been willing to give up several draft capital to go get an Anthony Davis from Washington? Does LeBron James follow suit?

"My understanding was if the Warriors were able to get Anthony Davis, they had as good of a chance, if not better than anyone, to go get a LeBron James. And I think you have to look at that in the calculus of everything."

In order to acquire Davis from the Wizards, Charania also indicated that the Warriors likely would have had to send multiple first round picks and swaps.

The Dallas Mavericks and center Dereck Lively II have begun talks on a rookie scale extension. Lively and Dallas have until just before the regular season to reach an agreement on an extension. If the Mavs and Lively can't come to terms, he'll be eligible for restricted free agency next July.

Due to several foot and ankle injuries, Lively has appeared in just 98 games over his first three NBA seasons. This included only seven games last season.

Despite the injuries, Lively has shown considerable promise for the Mavericks. The 7-foot-1 center has averaged 8.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 22.9 minutes per game for his career.

The Milwaukee Bucks are seen as the favorites to land Peyton Watson, sources told Jake Fischer of The People's Insider.

The Bucks have a $25.5 million trade exception to use in a potential deal for Watson. 

The Nuggets are looking for at least two first-round picks in a sign-and-trade deal involving Watson.

The Nuggets are currently the only team projected to be in the second apron next season.

Watson could also sign a $6.5 million qualifying offer and return to Denver next year. 

The potential new deal between James Harden and the Cleveland Cavaliers is expected to last no more than two years, sources told Jake Fischer of The People's Insider.

The Cavs also still have interest in adding Jonathan Kuminga, even after signing Mario Hezonja.

With the Cavs hard-capped at the first apron, the team is having difficulty coming up with a trade offer that would entice the Hawks to part ways with Kuminga.

The Hawks have registered interest in Jarrett Allen, though the Cavs are not looking to move the center. 

The Cavs are also reluctant to include draft capital to ship out Max Strus or Dennis Schroder in order to shed salary.

The Atlanta Hawks showed interest in trading for Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen earlier this offseason. Cleveland has rebuffed outside interest in Allen and prefers to keep their veteran center.

Atlanta has made several moves this offseason, but is still looking for frontcourt depth. Onyeka Okongwu is set to start at center for the Hawks, with Jock Landale serving as his primary backup. Adding Allen would give Atlanta a chance to play with a bigger starter lineup, by pushing Okongwu and Jalen Johnson down to the four and three, respectively.

The Cavs are projected to be near the second apron again after re-signing James Harden. Despite that, Cleveland has shown no interest in trading their core players of Allen, Donovan Mitchell or Evan Mobley. The Cavaliers have also been reluctant to add draft capital to entice teams to take on Max Strus or Dennis Schroder, who Cleveland sees as key rotation players.

The Los Angeles Lakers remain interested in signing Jonathan Kuminga, sources told Jake Fischer of The People's Insider.

Kuminga, who would start at small forward for the team, would have to accept an offer on the "Lakers' terms."

The Cavs are also in play for Kuminga, though they are having difficulty putting together assets for a potential sign-and-trade with the Hawks. 

Kuminga is also not looking to sign a three-year deal for what he perceives is under his market value in order to help facilitate a sign-and-trade.