A couple of years ago, Draymond Green was talking about a longtime friend no longer enjoying basketball. Around that time Steve Kerr reportedly had breakfast with that ‘friend,’ Klay Thompson. It was the prelude to Thompson’s move to Dallas. And it proved just how trade talks get amplified in the Bay and affect the players. It appears the same is happening to Draymond Green, as Steve Kerr theorizes.

For the first time in over a decade, there’s more weight on trading Draymond Green, someone the franchise repeatedly claimed would retire with the Warriors. Green also finds himself in uncharted territory as he gets talked about as the biggest trade piece for the team.

Addressing the visible tension and recent stress on the veteran forward, head coach Steve Kerr provided a rare, empathetic look into the psyche of a player who has only ever known one home. “[Draymond and I] have talked [about the trade rumors],” Kerr admitted during a candid media session. “I think what’s really tricky for Draymond is this is the only place he’s ever known.”

Kerr reiterated Dray’s position as franchise cornerstone that won’t change even if his jersey does. “He’s going to have a statue outside the building someday. Really weird position for him to be in for sure because there’s never really been a time in his entire career where he’s had to think about putting on another jersey… He’s never been through this and it’s definitely been on his mind.”

With the Warriors reportedly “aligned” in their pursuit of Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, Green’s name has been floated as a primary salary-matching piece in a potential blockbuster. Kerr’s comments highlight Green’s vulnerability, suggesting that the defensive mastermind’s recent comments are a byproduct of his first real brush with NBA mortality.

Draymond Green has ‘acted out’ more than before

A spate of injuries and Giannis Antetokounmpo potentially on the market means no one in the team except Stephen Curry is safe. Mike Dunleavy might actually deviate from his no-trade stance for Jonathan Kuminga blocbuster trade. And if he adds in big salaries, the Warriors might not have to part with their massive draft capital, too.

Draymond Green has always been outspoken. But even he’s rarely been direct about trade talks knowing how fast the business changes. And he’s almost never talked about himself getting trade out of Golden State.

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On Friday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, Green showed his usual confidence when asked about potentially being sent to Milwaukee. “I’ve been here for 14 years. I have no reason to sit and worry about leaving,” Green said with a smile on his face, and added he wasn’t losing his sleep over it. “But if I’m traded, that’s part of the business. So it is what it is.”

Yet on his podcast, he showed a rare degree of nervousness saying the trade season is stressful, not just for himself, but at the prospect of losing teammates he cares about. Usually players who want to stay put don’t send smoke signals to front offices, i.e., what’s happening with Giannis and Kuminga, and what was going on with Jimmy Butler a year ago.

Yet Green did something unorthodox by directly commenting under a rumor that he’s orchestrating a ‘trade-and-return’ deal for the Warriors to have both him and Giannis. “🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣who’s the source?” he questioned the report. 

Green’s $25 million salary might be a mathematical necessity in a situation where only Stephen Curry is an “untouchable” asset. Obviously, that’s not how he imagined his career going even if he’s talked about how all NBA players signed up for this uncertainty.

Kerr’s comments prove the locker room is tense leading up to February 5. The reality of a “statue-worthy” career potentially ending in a different jersey has created an emotional landscape for the former DPOY who has anchored the Warriors’ defense for four championship runs.