As expected, Draymond Green declined his $27.5 million player option. And also as expected, the Golden State Warriors are publicly exuding confidence  about the chances of both sides working out a long-term contract.

“We really want Draymond back,” newly minted Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. told ESPN's Mark Spears. “MDJ says he ‘feels confident we can navigate it' and says Warriors ownership has the finances to get it done.”

Not much can be gleaned from that response, other than the fact that it shows Dunleavy Jr. thoroughly read up on “Sports Executive Spiel 101” in anticipation of officially being named Bob Myers' GM replacement. He is right, though. A deal is plausible. That is, if the organization is committed to possibly paying a luxury tax in the range of $500 million (per the new CBA's rules for repeat threshold offenders).

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Throw in the admission from head coach Steve Kerr about the partial loss of  trust that occurred from Green notoriously punching teammate Jordan Poole before this past season, and one can certainly see a world where Golden State's igniter winds up elsewhere. Many fans vehemently oppose the prospect of living in such a world, however.

Steph Curry is the unquestioned star of the team with Klay Thomson being a super-charged Robin to his Batman when at his best. Draymond Green is the Dubs' ever-important heart and soul, a tone setter on the defensive end and an underrated facilitator on offense. This championship engine would have never reached its mountaintop destination without him.

Will that knowledge be enough for the Warriors to make a significant financial sacrifice in a trajectory-defining offseason? Fans better buckle up, as we will soon find out that answer.