Draymond Green Concerned How New CBA Will Impact Lower Earning Players

[RealGM Wiretap]

Draymond Green explained his Tweets expressing displeasure with the tentative deal on a new NBA collective bargaining agreement.

"I'm not [pleased], for several reasons," Green said. "It's not about me."

Green wrote "That's a heartbreaker" and "One day we will get it right... maybe," amongst other somewhat cryptic comments.

"It's not about me that I'm mad about," Green said. "When I look at these things I look at a guy like a Ian Clark or James Michael McAdoo, the other guys."

Green said he "was one of those guys nobody would stand up for." Green was a second round pick in 2012.

"It's not about where my status is at as an All-Star. You'll be taken care of. As a superstar in this league, you'll be taken care of. So it's not more so about us, it's more so about the guys who aren't on that level,'' Green said.

"When I look at my career, I didn't expect to be at this level I'm at now. I kind of identify more with those guys that have not made it to the level I've been fortunate enough to make it to. So when I think of contract negotiations in the CBA, I think of them and how can we help them. How can we help the guys that aren't making as much make more?''

Kevin Durant had a similar take to Green's on the new deal.

"I just more so look at it how it's going to affect the group as a whole, as far as all our players. From the top guys to the middle guys to the guys trying to fight their way up. It's about the whole group. It's not more so about myself or the big name guys. It's more about the whole group and how we can make this thing better for everybody."

Green declined to comment on specific CBA provisions, but said about the lowest earning NBA players, "There could be different structure to have not as many minimum players.

"Right now there's like a max and a minimum, a couple in-betweens. I think there can be different structures to help those minimum guys make more and not be a minimum player. But like I said, there's a lot of things that I'm still going over."

The minimum salary will increase by 50 percent under the new deal.

Via Ethan Sherwood Strauss/ESPN

[PerfectJab]

All I see in this entire article is Draymond complimenting himself, putting himself in a light where he is the 'good' guy and humble while contradicting himself by using the opportunity to tell us how good he is.

[YogurtProducer]

All I see in this entire article is Draymond complimenting himself, putting himself in a light where he is the 'good' guy and humble while contradicting himself by using the opportunity to tell us how good he is.

Typically what happens when you don't like someone and you see everything they do in a negative light. Same **** happened with LBJ when he went to Miami. It was at the point where he could have saved a dying child and people would say he did it to advertise himself.

[The_Hater]

You're all getting richer Draymond. Relax and enjoy where you are in life.

[intheair1]

lol i like how realgm just threw in the fact that minimum salary will increase by 50% at the end in one small sentence after draymond said he is still looking stuff over. nice subtle burn.

[biggestbullsfan]

Unless they are willing to take a pay decrease, i think this is a non story.

[Cassius]

Unless they are willing to take a pay decrease, i think this is a non story.

You're right. If you want the minimum to increase by $1M, then strip the raises on a max contract by 0.5% or so. That would probably even it out, but I highly doubt the max guys would have advocated for that at all.

What they should be pushing for is for the increase in minimum salaries to be forced into the league 401K match, and to decrease the minimum years served to qualify for the league pension.

[PerfectJab]

All I see in this entire article is Draymond complimenting himself, putting himself in a light where he is the 'good' guy and humble while contradicting himself by using the opportunity to tell us how good he is.

Typically what happens when you don't like someone and you see everything they do in a negative light. Same **** happened with LBJ when he went to Miami. It was at the point where he could have saved a dying child and people would say he did it to advertise himself.

Typically people narrow in on the person making the argument rather than the discussion in an attempt to discredit their opinion when they lack the ability to actually refute the opinion.

I see no reason for him to describe himself as an allstar as it is irrelevant in this case. I have absolutely no animosity towards the guy as he is a person I do not know. Simple observation. I might not have mentioned this if it weren't for the fact that he serially praises himself. I never see Lebron James do this, he just knows. Look at other interviews with Green, he always finds some way to mention that he's an allstar or that he's good.

[Starks]

I always find it indecent when NBA players somehow complain publicly about their salaries.

No matter how you put it, the lowest paid cat in the league still makes half a mil for a basketball season. I understand trying to get the best of your situation, but keep this crap behind closed doors. You're looking stupid making it seem as if any one of y'all is struggling to keep up out there.

[hyberx]

All I see in this entire article is Draymond complimenting himself, putting himself in a light where he is the 'good' guy and humble while contradicting himself by using the opportunity to tell us how good he is.

Typically what happens when you don't like someone and you see everything they do in a negative light. Same **** happened with LBJ when he went to Miami. It was at the point where he could have saved a dying child and people would say he did it to advertise himself.

Typically people narrow in on the person making the argument rather than the discussion in an attempt to discredit their opinion when they lack the ability to actually refute the opinion.

I see no reason for him to describe himself as an allstar as it is irrelevant in this case. I have absolutely no animosity towards the guy as he is a person I do not know. Simple observation. I might not have mentioned this if it weren't for the fact that he serially praises himself. I never see Lebron James do this, he just knows. Look at other interviews with Green, he always finds some way to mention that he's an allstar or that he's good.

Has reading always been a difficulty to you? Anyone reads the article understand that Green brought this up not because he wanted to make an issue for himself, given he is an All Star with a big contract. The article also made it clear that Green was a 2nd round pick and one of the little guys. The only way you could translate that into self promotion is your mind being blinded as a hater.

You don't see LeBron do this? Of course, since when he spoke for the little guys given he was the number one pick and the Chosen One? Your comparison of apple and orange makes this argument even more silly.

[old rem]

All I see in this entire article is Draymond complimenting himself, putting himself in a light where he is the 'good' guy and humble while contradicting himself by using the opportunity to tell us how good he is.

Typically what happens when you don't like someone and you see everything they do in a negative light. Same **** happened with LBJ when he went to Miami. It was at the point where he could have saved a dying child and people would say he did it to advertise himself.

Typically people narrow in on the person making the argument rather than the discussion in an attempt to discredit their opinion when they lack the ability to actually refute the opinion.

I see no reason for him to describe himself as an allstar as it is irrelevant in this case. I have absolutely no animosity towards the guy as he is a person I do not know. Simple observation. I might not have mentioned this if it weren't for the fact that he serially praises himself. I never see Lebron James do this, he just knows. Look at other interviews with Green, he always finds some way to mention that he's an allstar or that he's good.

Huh? His POINT is he would like MORE upside for the guys who are the low $ players. He SAID.... he's okay. He was All star, Team USA, and as such will get paid. he IS getting paid.

[IWishIWasHarden]

An NBA player concerned about income inequality. That's new. What about the owners of teams charging as much money as they can from lower class, working class and lower middle class citizens just so the players can make as much money as possible. How does that make you feel Draymond?

[ozthegap]

An NBA player concerned about income inequality. That's new. What about the owners of teams charging as much money as they can from lower class, working class and lower middle class citizens just so the players can make as much money as possible. How does that make you feel Draymond?

Dude if you think the owners do that so the players can make there money you're a fool. The owners are looking out for numero uno and no one else

[kalel123]

Green is full of $%$@ as usual.

They complain about lower class, middle class all the time whenever there's new CBA around. But all I see are plenty of these mediocre players getting paid. Strongly disagree that this is a problem. Look at the money being thrown around these days at these players who haven't accomplished a thing in the league. But of course, Green wants to speak out to make him sound good. Maybe you should spend that energy trying to stop flailing your body parts to try and catch someone and just play basketball.

[ChokeFasncists]

It's easy, donate!

[bakesale]

All I see in this entire article is Draymond complimenting himself, putting himself in a light where he is the 'good' guy and humble while contradicting himself by using the opportunity to tell us how good he is.

Typically what happens when you don't like someone and you see everything they do in a negative light. Same **** happened with LBJ when he went to Miami. It was at the point where he could have saved a dying child and people would say he did it to advertise himself.

Typically people narrow in on the person making the argument rather than the discussion in an attempt to discredit their opinion when they lack the ability to actually refute the opinion.

I see no reason for him to describe himself as an allstar as it is irrelevant in this case. I have absolutely no animosity towards the guy as he is a person I do not know. Simple observation. I might not have mentioned this if it weren't for the fact that he serially praises himself. I never see Lebron James do this, he just knows. Look at other interviews with Green, he always finds some way to mention that he's an allstar or that he's good.

A simple observation? You mean you observed something, took it out of context and used it to have a go at him. LOL Sounds like you are just hating on him for the sake of it. If you read the whole paragraph he only mentioned himself as an example as an All Star but went on to say that despite him being an all star he still remembers his roots as a second round pick and feels for and empathises with the guys making less than him. I'm happy to make fun of being emotionally immature but this is actually one of the most mature approaches he's taken. He certainly wasn't big noting himself in this article if you read it through properly.

[dice]

An NBA player concerned about income inequality. That's new. What about the owners of teams charging as much money as they can from lower class, working class and lower middle class citizens just so the players can make as much money as possible. How does that make you feel Draymond?

Dude if you think the owners do that so the players can make there money you're a fool. The owners are looking out for numero uno and no one else

i don't think that was his point. he's saying that it's ironic that draymond is concerned with the poorest millionaires rather than the fans, who are being gouged in order to pay players SO much that a million bucks or more per year is considered peanuts. the two guys he specifically expressed concern about on his team will be making 1.5 - 1.6 mil a year in the new CBA. with 10% raises each year. i sure as hell don't feel bad for them

[jirrit]

Cut the crap Dray.

[MitchB3]

I'm starting to think this guy is a narcissist, the fact that he says it's not "about me" you know he's making it about him. Everyone has a value and not everyone will be valued at the same price, for example, do I believe you should be valued at $15+ Million for the next 3 season? No, you are not especially if you are kicking people and taking swipes at another man nuts. That's just me. If it was up to the player every player should be getting at least $10+ Million a season, but guess what it's not.

[Patches Perry]

Millionaires complaining about how they're treated by billionaires. Not saying he isn't right, but surely the world has far greater issues.