Draymond Green reveals Warriors ownership’s biggest clause in $100,000,000 extension

Draymond Green has been the leading voice in the Golden State Warriors team for over a decade now. The Warriors paid handsomely to their veteran player with a $100 million contract extension. Interestingly, Green had an unsaid clause in his contract that was related to Jonathan Kuminga.

Few know that it was Green who found Kuminga for the Warriors. He was the reason behind the Warriors choosing Kuminga in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Draymond Green signed a $100,000,000 extension with the Warriors in 2023 free agency. However, the Warriors owner Joe Lacob asked 2017 Defensive Player of The Year to take Kuminga under his wings, an unwritten part of the contract.

"Joe said, 'I know you're going to play and lead and all of that, but I need one more thing,'" Green told ESPN. "He said 'I need you to take JK under your wing.’”

"I said, 'You got my word’ ...To me, that was a condition of the contract," Green added.

Kuminga, the 21-year-old Warriors’ young star has emerged as one of the most important pieces on the team. It could be fairly argued that he is the only player apart from Steph Curry who has been consistent for the Warriors this season.

The Young Warriors star also revealed that it was Green who asked the Warriors’ front office to pick him.

"He [Green] is one of the reasons I even ended up here," Kuminga told ESPN. "Before they drafted me, he called [former Warriors general manager] Bob [Myers] and told him to bring me here. I think that was one of the greatest things to have ever happened."

Draymond Green later said that it was his former teammate Jarrett Jack, who played a pivotal role in mentoring Green when he was still a rookie. Jack, who played with Kuminga in 2021 for G-League Ignite noticed the potential in Kuminga and sent his words to Green.

Green then asked Bob Myers, who was then the GM of Warriors basketball, to pick Kuminga in the Draft. The Warriors eventually selected Kuminga seventh in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft. However, Draymond Green still had to prove his decision right, given the young center’s potential still wasn’t coming to fruition.

This year, Kuminga is having a breakout season. Moreover, since Green's comeback from suspension, his chemistry with the young star is at an all-time high. Kuminga’s FGM off Green’s passes is over 70% and together, they have the second-best defensive rating in the league.

Draymond Green figured out Jonathan Kuminga’s game during his suspension

The NBA suspended Draymond Green indefinitely after the Warriors star hit Jusuf Nurkic across the face in a game between the Warriors and the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 12, 2023. Green had to go through counseling sessions in order to return to the Warriors’ roster.

Green utilized his 12-game suspension not just to work on himself and get help, but also to make one of his teammates’ life easy. Since Green had taken Kuminga under his wings, he used his suspension time to watch Kuminga play and figure out his best form of offensive game.

Draymond Green found Kuminga’s athleticism the key to unlocking his offensive game. He remarked that the young star could use his vertical jump to be better on the offensive end.

"Nobody else is going to be up there with you. Most of us, we've got to find angles, and different things to score, but if you get in trouble with anything, just jump," Green told Kuminga.

Green also suggested his teammate develop his shot from midrange which could give him more scoring versatility. His communication with coach Steve Kerr has improved substantially and now he is in the starting lineup. If the Warriors were among the top teams in the league, Kuminga’s game would have had a very different narrative.