The Golden State Warriors were genuinely interested in making the move for Giannis Antetokounmpo on this trade deadline. Still, they eventually ended up only trading for Kristaps Porzingis from the Atlanta Hawks. The Dubs have been anything but contenders this season, and therefore, they want to propel themselves back to the top of the NBA. So a move for a superstar is inevitable. With Giannis reportedly available in the market, the Warriors went all in for the Milwaukee Bucks star.

To lure the 31-year-old to the Bay Arena, there were reports of the Dubs involving former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green in the mix to add value to the trade package in exchange. ESPN insider Anthony Slater reported it, but recently, Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy denied the reports, and later their owner Joe Lacob doubled down on that.

“He was never discussed in a trade; Mike was 100% correct in what he said,” Lacob stated. “I know he got a lot of crap for that. And it did look defensive. I mean, I think he would say that in retrospect. But the truth is, the way these things are, you don’t just easily banter around names unless you’re getting serious…. We never really got engagement on some of the big deals to the point where you get into specific names. People can look at the roster, and they can make assumptions about who might or might not have to go if you’ve got a certain person.”

The Warriors are going through a tough season, struggling with injuries to Jimmy Butler and now Stephen Curry. They don’t look like a threat to the Championship, and on top of that, even Draymond Green has been ordinary this season. However, his impact on the franchise for so many years cannot be forgotten. He has played a significant role in all four rings. His name came up in the rumors mainly because of his high salary and poor form. But Lacob highlighted that the 35-year-old forward was not shopped in any way.

“But I can tell you he was never shopped in any way. He’s a core person in our franchise. You don’t trade a Draymond Green simply or easily. You do it if you have to, and you’re getting tremendous value, and you’re improving your team. Even Draymond has said he understands that. You have to look at these things. But his name was never specifically discussed with another team. And that’s the truth.”

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

This will be massively reassuring to Draymond Green, who was extremely heartbroken at the trade deadline after hearing his name mentioned in the trade package.

Draymond Green was in a ‘weird’ spot at the trade deadline

Earlier this month, Green revealed on the ‘Draymond Green Show’ that he had a conversation with Dunleavy, during which the Warriors GM had not ruled out him or Butler being included in the trade package if they make the move for Giannis. However, one thing is sure: he also highlighted that no players were discussed at the special meeting, which Dunleavy revealed to Green.

Green shared the conversation that he had with Dunleavy, where the Warriors GM said, “We haven’t talked about the players that will go into the deal. But obviously, if we were to do a deal with Giannis, you or Jimmy would have to be in a trade just to make it work.”

Despite the conversation, he couldn’t stop thinking about the situation just because Dunleavy didn’t rule out the chances of him moving away from the Bay Arena. He eventually did, but during that period, Green was on the knife’s edge. This was the first time in his career, and during this period, he developed a deep respect for players who deal with trade uncertainty more often than he does.

“It was kinda weird. You are just sitting in this holding pattern, wondering what’s to come. Whether it’s the next couple of minutes or hours, or days. The future was uncertain, in limbo, not knowing what’s next. This was the first time I was going through this, and what I’ll say is coming out of it with an appreciation of a lot of NBA players, the majority of them has dealt with. You come out of it with gratitude for the journey that has been and not having to deal with it (trade),” Green revealed.

Currently, Green is not turning heads with his performances. He dropped a horror show against the Boston Celtics in their recent blowout defeat. The veteran forward recorded 0 points and went 0-for-7 on the night in a 19-minute stay on the court. It was simply not his night. Overall, his numbers have declined sharply, as he is averaging 8.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per contest while shooting 40.9% from the field.

So it remains to be seen how long the Warriors entertain such performances from Green and whether they turn to Giannis Antetokounmpo in the summer. If they do, will they add the 35-year-old to the trade package? That will be fascinating to witness.