Warriors' Steph Curry believes Draymond Green deserves contract extension

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Much will be asked of Steph Curry next season, perhaps more than any other season thus far in his decorated career.

Kevin Durant is gone. Klay Thompson is injured. Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston aren't around any longer.

The Warriors did their best to retool on the fly this offseason, and general manager Bob Myers was successful in many respects. He re-signed Kevon Looney to a three-year contract, turned Durant's departure into a sign-and-trade for D'Angelo Russell and added depth through high-ceiling, low-risk free agents and draft picks.

But even with all that, a lot is going to fall on Curry's shoulders. It's with that understanding that the two-time MVP knows he and the Dubs need Draymond Green -- who is due to hit unrestricted free agency next offseason -- perhaps now more than ever.

"I feel like he’s proven how valuable he is to a championship team and can find ways to get even better," Curry said of Green to The Athletic's Marcus Thompson. "They know what’s up."

The 'they' Curry refers to is the Warriors' front office -- Myers & Co. -- whose next major battleground will be the negotiations with Green's camp, which are sure to be complex. A three-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year, Green wants to be paid like one of the pillars of a championship team, as he has proven to be several times over. The Warriors certainly want to keep Green in Golden State, but his age, size and projected longevity all will be factored into what they're comfortable offering.

Curry, naturally, thinks Green is worth whatever it takes, and this isn't the first time he's campaigned for his longtime friend and teammate. 

"Back in 2015, when Green was due a contract extension," Thompson recalled, "Curry would, in the middle of the game when Green made a play, catch the attention of Warriors co-chairman Joe Lacob and tell him to 'pay that man.'"

Given the current state of the Warriors' renovated roster, Green -- much like Curry -- will have to expand his game in order for Golden State to be successful. If he's able to do so -- and hold Lacob's attention in the process -- you can be sure Curry will be back out on the mid-game campaign trail.

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It's just one more thing that will fall on Curry's ever-growing plate next season.

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