nypost
Josh Hart fired back at Draymond Green after the Golden State Warriors forward criticized Jalen Brunson's decision to take a below-max contract extension with the New York Knicks. On a recent episode of the Club 520 Podcast, Green questioned Brunson's financial choice and specifically mentioned Hart's salary.
“It’s the New York Knicks, bro. They can afford it. You ain’t gotta take no discount,” Green said, referring to Brunson. “My situation is different because Steph (Curry) making 270 (million), Klay (Thompson) making 180. Alright, something gotta give. Cool, I could take less. But he the top guy! By the way, let Josh Hart or somebody else take less. They in my role, let one of them take less, but guess what? Steph Curry ain’t taking a penny less and neither did Klay Thompson. If this gonna work, somebody do. Well guess what I ain’t really expecting them to take less. I don’t know what he doing, but I’m happy for him.”
Hart, a key contributor for the Knicks, responded on X (formerly Twitter) with a quote tweet of Green's comments, writing: “We got to normalize grown men not counting other people’s pockets.” The Knicks wing made it clear he disagreed with Green's suggestion that he should have been the one to sacrifice financially.
Key Analysis
Brunson's decision to sign a four-year, $156.5 million extension instead of waiting for a potential $270 million max deal allowed the Knicks to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges while staying under the salary cap. That roster construction ultimately led to New York's first NBA championship since 1973 this past season. Green, who recently signed a $27.7 million deal with the Warriors, argued that winning titles doesn't require stars to take discounts, pointing to Golden State's success with Curry and Thompson on max contracts. However, Hart's retort underscores the differing perspectives on team-building and financial sacrifice within the league.
Originally reported by nypost.