Draymond Green hears the chatter - he’s just not losing sleep over it.
With the trade deadline creeping closer and the Warriors reportedly eyeing a blockbuster move for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, Green isn’t exactly sweating the rumors. He’s been around too long for that.
“I’ve been here for 14 years,” Green said. “I have no reason to sit and worry about leaving.
But if I’m traded, that’s part of the business. I ain’t losing no sleep though.
I slept great last night.”
That’s vintage Draymond - direct, unfazed, and fully aware of how the NBA machine works. And really, his attitude reflects where Golden State is as a franchise right now.
Nothing’s off the table. No one - aside from Stephen Curry - is untouchable.
According to league sources, there’s a growing sense within the organization that the Warriors are preparing for life beyond their comfort zone. The dynasty days are in the rearview, and with Curry’s prime years dwindling, the front office is at least entertaining the idea of a seismic shift.
If there’s even a sliver of a chance to land Antetokounmpo, the Warriors are going to explore it. But a deal of that magnitude comes with serious financial gymnastics. Green’s $25.8 million salary would almost certainly have to be part of any package to make the numbers work.
And Green knows that - both the business side and his own worth.
Now 35, he’s not the offensive engine he once was, but his role remains rock solid. He’s still the starting four.
Still the team’s emotional heartbeat. Still one of the most versatile and disruptive defenders in the league.
His fingerprints are all over the Warriors’ identity - the good, the bad, and everything in between.
In Golden State’s recent home loss to Detroit, Green put up 15 points, seven assists, and three rebounds - a stat line that doesn’t jump off the page but shows he’s still impacting the game on multiple fronts. He looked like a player who expects to be part of the solution, not a piece to be moved.
When asked about how involved he is in conversations with general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and owner Joe Lacob, Green didn’t sound like someone banging on the front office door.
“I’m not going to go up there like, ‘Yo, tell me what y’all doing,’” he said. “I’ll be the same as I always am.
My phone is always on. I’m always willing to collaborate.”
It’s a pragmatic approach from a veteran who’s seen the full arc of a dynasty - from the rise to the rings to the recalibration. Green understands the stakes. He knows the Warriors are at a crossroads, balancing the urgency of maximizing whatever’s left of Curry’s window with the reality that their current formula might not be enough.
Whether Green is part of the next chapter or not, one thing’s clear: he’s not ducking the moment. He’s embracing it, the only way he knows how - head-on, with eyes wide open.