5 reasons the Golden State Warriors season could end with a championship in 2024

The Golden State Warriors were eliminated in the 2023 Western Conference semifinals by the Los Angeles Lakers. With Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green continuing to age, their window to add more championships is closing. Here’s how they can return to the mountaintop next season.

May 12, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

2 of 6

5 reasons the Golden State Warriors season could end with a championship: 5. Draymond Green's contract extension

Draymond Green is a Golden State Warriors legend. He has been their most important defensive player for all four of their NBA championships since 2015. His versatility is what gives the Warriors so much lineup flexibility. Green is comfortable playing as a small center, operating next to another post player, or alongside a big who can space the floor. He can defend every position. He’s the Warriors conductor, making the trains run on time.

So why was extending him a looming question for the entire season? Well, for starters, he punched a teammate in the face. That will give any time doubts about whether or not to extend a player, no matter how important he is to what the team has accomplished. The punch is only the extreme though. Green is notorious for technical fouls, squabbles with teammates, arguments with coaches, and more. The passion and intensity that fuels a portion of his on-court impact is something that he struggles to turn off. Sometimes he sees red, and that could have impacted his ability to line his pockets with green.

Those doubts are now gone. The Warriors signed Green to a four-year $100 million contract extension at the beginning of free agency. They made it clear that they are all in on continuing to chase championships with the core of Curry, Thompson, and Green.

Home/Golden State Warriors