Why Danny Green's Contract With 76ers Creates Pressure

Time is ticking for Danny Green, who recently signed with the 76ers for a second stint.

Danny Green is headed back to the City of Brotherly Love. 

After spending the entire 2022-2023 NBA season away from the Philadelphia 76ers, Green will get an opportunity to pick up where he left off during the 2022 NBA Playoffs, which ended on a low note.

Earlier this week, 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced that the team has signed Green officially. Although it was assumed he was coming back on a one-year contract, the team did not reveal the terms of his deal, as it goes against the organization’s policy.

Yossi Gozlan and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype recently revealed some additional context on Green’s contract as he gets back with the Sixers. As expected, Green is on a one-year deal, and his contract is non-guaranteed, as previously reported.

Danny Green knocks down a shot against the Mavericks during his first run with 76ers / USA Today

However, there are some notable dates to keep in mind, as Green could see the money start to kick in as the season progresses and reaches specific points.

Per Gozlan and Scotto, Green could earn $500,000 if he’s on the team’s opening night roster. If the veteran sharpshooter is around on November 24, he could earn an additional $750,000. The final “trigger date” comes on Christmas Eve and could be worth $1.3 million.

Danny Green’s one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers is non-guaranteed and includes several trigger dates, league sources told @MikeAScotto and me.

Opening night: $500,000
November 24: $750,000
December 24: $1.3 million@SixersAdam and @PaulHudrick had non-guarantee first.

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) September 14, 2023

What Does This Mean for Green?

As we’ve come to find out, non-guaranteed deals in pro sports mean that roster spots are far from guaranteed as well. At this point in Green’s career, there are some questions left unanswered. The Sixers have a safety net and can move on from Green if he doesn’t seem to have much left in the tank.

Obviously, that’s not the hope here. Bringing Green back to Philadelphia makes sense from a leadership standpoint. When the three-time champion played for the Sixers from 2020 to 2022, he was a valuable veteran presence in the locker room, offering vocal leadership and NBA Finals experience.

Outside of Green’s positive locker room presence, he also gave the Sixers some solid on-court production as well. During the 2020-2021 season, Green started in every game he played, averaging 28 minutes on the floor. During that time, he averaged ten points, knocking down 41 percent of his threes, while taking six per game.

The following year, Green came off the bench for nearly half the season. His scoring numbers were down to six points per game, and so was his long-range shooting, which dropped to four attempts per game, draining shots at a 38 percent clip.

Notably, Green’s two playoff runs with the Sixers wrapped up prematurely. In 2021, he suffered a calf injury, which forced him to miss four of the seven games against the Atlanta Hawks in the second round. While he appeared in all 12 games of the Sixers’ 2022 playoff run, Green tore his ACL three minutes into the Game 6 elimination matchup. 

Instead of taking a year off in 2022-2023, Green vowed to be back on the floor around the All-Star break. Avoiding setbacks, Green kept his word and debuted with the Memphis Grizzlies before the NBA trade deadline. Three games into his run with the Grizzlies, Green was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In Cleveland, Green played for eight games during the regular season, averaging 12 minutes on the floor. He produced seven points per game while knocking down 45 percent of his threes. During the playoffs, he averaged ten minutes in four games. The Cavaliers dropped out in five games, losing to the New York Knicks in round one.

At age 36, Green is entering a make-or-break year for himself. The upcoming training camp sessions in Fort Collins will be critical for the road ahead.