Just because the Golden State Warriors failed not advance to the 2024 NBA Playoffs does not mean Draymond Green has disappeared from the league scene. He’s still active, assisting the guys on Inside the NBA with playoff coverage and working on podcasts. He most recently appeared on The Draymond Green Show alongside famous big man and Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal. Green couldn’t believe the player he spent up idolizing had become someone he’d be sharing a stage with.
“If you had told the boy in Saginaw, whose first jersey was Shaq 32 with the stripes, Magic nightlight, and zip up onesie, that one day I’d sit with The Diesel and ask questions, he would have pinched himself to check if it was true. Still pinching myself đ€Ż My favorite player!” The Warriors’ do-it-all forward made a post on X (previously known as Twitter).
Green was born in 1990, so he was just two years old when Shaq was picked first overall in the NBA by the Orlando Magic in 1992. Shaq played for the Magic until the 1995-96 season, and by then, Green had seen a lot of Shaquille O’Neal highlights, but the greatest was yet to come. When Shaq joined the Los Angeles Lakers, his career took off, and he won three of his four NBA rings in the Purple & Gold clash.
Green, the Warriors’ second-round choice (35th overall) in the 2012 NBA Draft, has four NBA All-Star appearances and was previously named NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Draymon Greenâs future with the Warriors
Green, like Shaq, has won four NBA titles, all with the Warriors. Because he is still active in the NBA, he has a chance to surpass Shaq’s ring total; nevertheless, this will be tougher said than done. In any event, Green appears to be enjoying his summer and making the most of the opportunity to promote and develop his show. Perhaps Green has a future in broadcasting and is already setting the groundwork for a career change after his playing days are finished, which could happen sooner rather than later. Green, 34, may yet be able to play a few more seasons. He still has a contract with the Warriors that includes a player option worth $27.678 million for the 2026-27 NBA season.
There have been rumors that the Warriors may be looking to trade Green, but others believe that Golden State will keep the former Michigan State Spartans star, along with fellow Dubs core members Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, to continue competing for a championship together. That is not fully under the Warriors’ control, particularly Thompson’s future with Golden State, as he, unlike Curry and Green, is a pending unrestricted free agency.
In any case, most Warriors supporters would prefer to see Green continue to wear the Golden State jersey until his retirement. Green will make $24.107 million in the 2024-25 NBA season, with an additional $25.899 million in the 2025-26 campaign. This season, Green averaged 8.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in 55 games, shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from behind the arc.