As the NBA trade deadline looms, the Golden State Warriors are once again at the heart of the rumor mill-but this time, the noise is louder and more unexpected than usual. While the Warriors have been linked to a potential blockbuster pursuit of Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, what’s turning heads now is the name reportedly being floated in those trade talks: Draymond Green.
Yes, that Draymond Green.
According to league sources, Golden State has involved the four-time NBA champion in active trade discussions ahead of Thursday’s deadline. The report suggests Green’s name has surfaced in the framework of potential offers to Milwaukee as the Warriors continue to explore what it would take to land Antetokounmpo.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just any trade rumor. This is the potential unraveling of one of the most iconic cores in recent NBA history.
Green has been with the Warriors for 14 seasons. He’s the heartbeat of the dynasty that delivered four titles to the Bay Area, the defensive anchor who brought edge, IQ, and intensity to a team built around the shooting brilliance of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
But the NBA is a business-and sometimes, even the most storied partnerships face tough crossroads.
Green, 33, is in the third year of a four-year, $100 million deal he signed in 2023. He’s owed $27.7 million next season, a number that could be used as a key salary-matching piece in a trade for a max-level star. If the Warriors are serious about chasing Antetokounmpo-and all signs point to them being aggressive at the deadline-Green’s contract gives them flexibility to make the math work.
On the court this season, Green has played in 41 games, averaging 8.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while shooting 41.6% from the field. Those numbers don’t leap off the stat sheet, but anyone who’s watched Golden State over the past decade knows Green’s value has never been about pure stats. He’s a nine-time All-Defensive team selection, a former Defensive Player of the Year (2017), and the emotional leader who often sets the tone on both ends of the floor.
Still, the Warriors find themselves in a complicated spot. They’re trying to squeeze one more title run out of their aging core while also positioning themselves for the future. And if acquiring a generational talent like Giannis is truly on the table, no option-including parting with a franchise cornerstone-can be dismissed out of hand.
The clock is ticking. The trade deadline hits Thursday at 1 p.m.
PT. Whether or not Draymond Green is still in a Warriors jersey by then remains to be seen-but the fact that his name is even in the conversation tells you just how high the stakes are in Golden State right now.