It remains to be seen what the future holds for Draymond Green with the Golden State Warriors.
Green has a $27.7 million player option on his contract for next season which he is widely expected to pick up . He has made it clear that he would like to continue his career with the Warriors, publicly stating, “I think the best path would be to decline and extend” . However, there’s no guarantee that the organization will be willing, or able, to keep him around.
Even if Green, 36, is back in the Bay next season, the Warriors will still need to identify a succession plan at the power forward position. Perhaps they could do that in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft.
Warriors Add Draymond Green Replacement in NBA Mock Draft
Warriors Select Forward Karim Lopez in First Round of 2026 NBA Mock Draft
In a recent 2026 NBA mock draft, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports has the Warriors selecting New Zealand Breakers forward Karim Lopez in the first round .
As a versatile two-way player, Lopez, 19, shares some on-court similarities with Green, though he’s more adept as a floor-spacer and a couple of inches taller. The 6-foot-9 forward has a reported 7-foot-1 wingspan, giving him the physical tools to be disruptive on defense .
“One player who has gone under the radar throughout the pre-draft process, since he spent two seasons in the NBL’s Next Stars program, is Lopez. He averaged 12 points and six rebounds playing his games against grown men, and got better in each of his two seasons,” O’Connor wrote.
“He’s a smart cutter who finds scoring lanes within the flow of the offense, a solid shooter and a versatile defender.”
“That two-way versatility would work well with the Warriors, who need to replenish the roster with some upside. If Green sticks around long term, he could actually be quite a good mentor for Lopez, given they’re both hard-nosed players who make a winning effort at all times on the court.”
A Prototype for the Modern NBA
Lopez spent two years in Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) as part of the Next Stars program, the same pathway that produced LaMelo Ball and Josh Giddey . In his second season, he proved to be a highly efficient scorer, averaging 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting an impressive 50.2% from the field .
While Lopez needs to improve his three-point shooting (32.6%), his toolkit is remarkably modern for a 19-year-old. He moves exceptionally well without the ball, scores efficiently in the post, and possesses outstanding passing instincts for his size and age .
Defensively, his length and IQ make him a legitimate disruptor. He averaged over a steal and a block per game, using his quick feet to switch onto guards—a critical trait in the switching-heavy schemes of the modern NBA .
A “Tobias Harris” Archetype with Upside
Scouts have compared Lopez to a prime Tobias Harris: a player with positional size, multi-level scoring, and defensive versatility . That is a valuable and clear NBA archetype.
While no one is ever going to replace what Green meant for the Warriors as an organization—the vocal leadership, the defensive quarterbacking, the championship pedigree—Lopez could ultimately replace some of his on-court production if selected.
Draymond Green Doesn’t Know What the Future Holds for Him With Warriors
Green recently acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding his future and emphasized that he truly doesn’t know how things are going to play out.
“I’ve never been so uncertain since early in my career on what happens next, but I’m truly at a loss now because you just don’t know what direction will be what,” Green said. “I also hope I’m on this team next year. We also don’t know that. And man, if it was, what a run it’s been.”
The Verdict: A Forward-Looking Investment
The first decision that Green has to make over the offseason is whether or not to pick up his player option for next season. Once he makes that decision, he and the Warriors can move forward from there.
Drafting Lopez would not be a move for immediate contention; it would be an investment in the future. With the Warriors’ dynasty entering its twilight phase and the team holding a lottery pick in a loaded 2026 draft class, selecting a high-upside, two-way forward like Lopez could be a stabilizing move for the post-Curry era.
Whether Lopez ever reaches Green’s defensive genius is unlikely. However, his ability to shoot, handle, and defend multiple positions fits the modern NBA prototype that the Warriors helped popularize. He is a logical, long-term succession plan at the power forward position.