Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors Thearon W. Henderson | Getty Images

1. He surrounds himself with the right people

The most important decision Green says he's made to date, and one that will continue to determine his financial success, "is surrounding myself with the team that I have," he tells Carter. The one piece of advice he would give to professional athletes, he tells CNBC, "is to always be curious and always continue learning. All young athletes should take the time to educate themselves and find the right mentors." After all, who you hang out with matters. As author and self-made millionaire Steve Siebold writes in his book "How Rich People Think": "Successful people generally agree that consciousness is contagious, and that exposure to people who are more successful has the potential to expand your thinking and catapult your income. We become like the people we associate with, and that's why winners are attracted to winners."

Green with teammates Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson Ezra Shaw | Getty Images

2. He makes smart investments

Ultimately, "investing money is how you will get super rich," says self-made millionaire Grant Cardone. That's what Green is doing with a portion of his income. In fact, since the Warriors are in the heart of Silicon Valley in Oakland, locker room talk is often about investing. And it can get competitive, too — in a friendly way. "We all talk about the investments that we have and how they're doing and some of the start-ups we're trying to get into," he tells Carter. "It's known that KD [Kevin Durant] is in Postmates, so he kind of flexes his muscles on Postmates right now. It's some good, fun competition, and I think it's great to keep pushing guys in the right direction." The Warriors aren't the only pro-athletes putting their money to work and funding start-ups. NFL Glover Quin, who has invested in a variety of start-ups, plans to double his income by investing.

Detroit Lions safety Glover Quin (27) runs with the ball after intercepting a pass during game action between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. Scott W. Grau | Icon Sportswire | Corbis | Getty Images

3. He keeps his spending in check