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What Draymond Green’s extension means for the Portland Trail Blazers

By Austin Carroll

PORTLAND, OREGON - MAY 18: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket against CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers in game three of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Moda Center on May 18, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - MAY 18: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket against CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers in game three of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Moda Center on May 18, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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The Portland Trail Blazers likely weren’t very happy to hear the news of Draymond Green taking a discount to return to the Golden State Warriors.

Another domino falls, and the Portland Trail Blazers lament as the 2020 free agency class grows weaker and weaker by the moment.  Expected to be one of the headliners of next year’s crop, Draymond Green removed himself from the market by re-upping with the Golden State Warriors.

Instead of testing the waters, Green decided he’d prefer to stay put and inked a four-year, $100 million deal that locks him up through his prime. He will be 33-years-old when the contract expires.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN broke the news this morning.

While this reads as a maximum contract, Draymond actually left a lot of money on the table to return to Golden State on a team friendly deal. If he had waited an additional year to reach his decision, Green could have potentially pocketed twice as much money.

For the Blazers, this news comes as punch to the gut as Portland faces the reality of playing the Golden State core (plus one D’Angelo Russell) for years to come. Considering the Blazers have gone 7-18 in the regular season against the Warriors since 2012, this news will leave a bad taste in the mouth of many Portland Trail Blazers fans.

Furthermore, his decision also negatively impacts the options Portland has on the table next summer. While many Blazers fans won’t likely want to admit it due to his controversial personality, Draymond would have been a perfect fit with this team.

A Swiss Army Knife player that perfectly complements Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum with his stout defense, playmaking ability and willingness to shoot it from deep is exactly what Portland is missing out on. Hassan Whiteside and Kent Bazemore are coming off the books after this summer and would open up enough space to sign a player like Draymond.

Unfortunately, that fantasy can no longer become reality.

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Instead the Blazers will have to make do with the leftover scraps in next year’s disappointing guest list to the free agency fun. Perhaps the Blazers can still make a splash on a player like DeMar DeRozan or Otto Porter Jr.

The more likely (and probably smarter) route to take will be to start looking at potential options to improve the team in the trade market. Whiteside and Bazemore will make for valuable trade chips moving forward, now all that’s left to do is switch gears and start scouring the trade block for players that can help improve the team.

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Or who knows, maybe the Blazers will get lucky and this team is already good enough to be an underdog champion. Nobody believed Portland was good enough to make the Western Conference Finals entering last season. Never say never.