Draymond Green Sends Clear Warning to 29 NBA Teams After Jimmy Butler Reunion

The Golden State Warriors may have been quiet this offseason, but don’t confuse silence for surrender. The championship window isn’t closed yet, at least not if you ask Draymond Green. And after a recent offseason workout with Jimmy Butler, Green didn’t just let his game speak. He let his voice echo through the league.

Butler posted a carousel on Instagram, on-court clips with Draymond Green, which showed a renewed hunger. Green’s bold words in the final slide stole the show, sending a message that reverberated across the league. The Warriors, counted out by many, are far from done. With Butler’s arrival last season and Green’s fiery mindset, Golden State is gearing up for a fight. 

“We about six weeks out…right..where I need to be baby…we getting that b____ this year,” Green declared, staring dead at the camera in Butler’s Instagram post. That’s Draymond Green, the heart of the Warriors’ defense, throwing down the gauntlet to 29 other NBA teams. After Butler joined Golden State in a blockbuster trade last February, the Warriors went 23-7 to close the season. Their defensive rating jumped from ninth to first, with Green and Butler forming a switch-heavy, suffocating duo. The chemistry was instant, and it carried into the offseason.

Green’s confidence isn’t new. He’s been bold before, like last year’s All-Star weekend prediction that backfired after a playoff exit. But this feels different. The 2015 championship in Cleveland, Green’s career pinnacle, still drives him. “Because it was a feeling I had never felt before, and it’s a feeling I’ve never felt again,” he told The New York Times. That hunger, paired with Butler’s edge and Curry’s brilliance, makes the Warriors dangerous. Despite a 28-27 record and a 10th-place standing in the West, Green believes this core can reclaim that 2015 magic.

The context is critical. The Warriors’ quiet offseason, marred by Jonathan Kuminga’s contract stalemate and the loss of Kevon Looney, has skeptics circling. Curry, Butler, and Green, aged 37, 36, and 35 by next season, face questions about durability. Curry ’s injury in last year’s playoffs against Minnesota derailed their run. Yet, Green’s not listening to the noise. He’s locked in, training with Butler and trainer Yassine Gharram, and his words carry weight. This is a veteran who’s won four titles, a Defensive Player of the Year who knows what it takes.

The Warriors youth in the mix

The Warriors’ aging core is undeniable. Curry, Butler, and Green combine for a potential record-breaking 108 years old by the Finals. Critics like Jeff Teague argue Green can’t anchor the center spot against giants like Nikola Jokic. Golden State’s small roster identity, once revolutionary, now faces scrutiny. That’s where the youth step in. Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Jonathan Kuminga are the future. Steve Kerr must lean on them to keep the veterans fresh for the postseason.

However, the Kuminga’s situation looms large. The 22-year-old rejected a two-year, $45 million deal, opting for his $7.9 million qualifying offer. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2024, a risky move for both him and the Warriors. Trade rumors swirl, deals with Brooklyn for Day’Ron Sharpe or Chicago for Coby White have been floated. Kuminga’s role shrank after Butler’s arrival, and his frustration is palpable. Yet, his athleticism and potential could be the spark Golden State needs. The front office faces a tough call between trading him for assets or bet on his growth.

The Warriors’ young talent offers hope. Podziemski’s hustle, Moody’s shooting, and Jackson-Davis’s rim protection add depth. Curry himself dismissed the “too old” narrative, telling NBC Sports Bay Area, “We’ve heard it for even before the ‘22 championship. … it all comes down to health.” If Kerr balances the rotation, leaning on youth to spell the stars, the Warriors can stay competitive. The addition of G League standout Taevion Kinsey, a 25-year-old scoring machine, signals they’re still hunting for gems to bolster the roster.

The Warriors aren’t the favorites. Oklahoma City, Denver, and Minnesota are younger, deeper, and hungrier. Golden State’s $289.9 million invested in players over 35 dwarfs other contenders. Trade rumors persist, could Green himself be moved? Al Horford or Nikola Vucevic have been linked, but no deals have materialized.

Six weeks from training camp, Green’s message is clear: the Warriors are coming. The league is on notice. Golden State, old or not, still has fight left. If they stay healthy and the young guns step up, that 2015 feeling might just return to the Bay.