Draymond Green may have survived the NBA trade deadline, but that hasn’t secured his place in the Golden State Warriors’ closing lineups. In fact, just days after the Warriors opted to keep their longtime defensive anchor, head coach Steve Kerr openly admitted the team is “struggling” and has begun trimming Green’s minutes as a result.

With Stephen Curry sidelined by a runner’s knee, Kerr has made a noticeable shift in crunch time. In two of Golden State’s last three games, both wins, Green has been benched down the stretch while veteran big man Al Horford has taken over the closing role. The decision signals a rare and potentially troubling development for a player who has long been considered indispensable to the Warriors’ identity.

“Without Steph and Jimmy, we’re struggling to score at times and we’re just finding that we’re better off playing one big. And if Al is playing like he did last night then we’re going to stay with Al and stay smaller around him,” Kerr said after the film session. “So it’s just the way it is right now. Everything could be completely different next week so you just have to kind of roll with it.”

Kerr first made the bold move last Thursday against the Phoenix Suns. With more than seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Warriors coach benched Green and turned to Al Horford as his lone big man. The adjustment paid off, as Golden State closed the game strong and secured a 101–97 victory.

The same pattern played out again Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. Entering the final period down 13 points, Kerr opted to go small once more, replacing Green with Horford early in the quarter. The lineup change sparked a dramatic turnaround, with the Warriors outscoring Memphis by 14 in the fourth to steal the win.

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Afterward, Kerr explained that the decision was less about punishing Green and more about solving a spacing problem created by Stephen Curry’s absence.

“Al in the Phoenix game and last night was playing so well and I think without Steph, it’s easier for us to score if Al is at the five and we space the floor around him. … It’s harder to find lineup combinations without Stephen where we can play Dray at the four,” Kerr said after the film session on Tuesday.

Horford, even at 39, has remained a reliable floor-spacer and defensive presence, and Kerr has made it clear he will ride the hot hand. As long as Horford continues to produce, Green’s minutes in late-game situations appear far from guaranteed.

For a player who has been central to every Warriors championship run, the recent shifts suggest an uncomfortable new reality: Green’s role is no longer automatic; it’s situational.

Steve Kerr reveals his conversation with Draymond Green amid role reduction

At the stage of his career, Draymond is not the player that he was half a decade ago. He could do everything, and even had the energy to get in the face of the opposing players. However, at age 35, Green, who has largely relied on his defensive caliber, can no longer do everything on the floor.

That shift has become even more pronounced following Golden State’s addition of Kristaps Porzingis. Kerr now has the option of pairing Porzingis with Al Horford, a frontcourt duo that already proved it can win at the highest level during Boston’s 2024 championship run.

The combination offers size, spacing, and rim protection—qualities that fit today’s modern NBA blueprint and, at times, make Green’s non-shooting skill set harder to accommodate.

As a result, Green’s long-held value as the Warriors’ irreplaceable Swiss Army knife is being tested in ways it never has before.

Draymond commits more turnovers. He is automatic in finding the best spot for Steph Curry. However, his importance diminishes without the two-time MVP. Now, Kerr is already hinting at Green’s career having entered the twilight of his career.

“We talk all the time. He understands exactly where he is in his career. Where our team is,” Kerr said on 95.7 The Game. We’ve had really good conversations about this. About how the last couple of years of your career go and how you have to adapt and adjust.”

The NBA has never been kind to aging stars, even to those who helped build dynasties. Andre Iguodala, once the glue of the Warriors’ championship runs, saw his minutes carefully trimmed in his final seasons as Golden State gradually prioritized younger, more versatile lineups.

In Miami, franchise icon Udonis Haslem went from emotional leader and defensive stalwart to a largely ceremonial role as his on-court impact faded. For even the most accomplished veterans, loyalty eventually gives way to lineup realities. Draymond Green now appears to be confronting that same uncomfortable transition.

This season, Green is recording his career-low defensive rating. He is also settling for more 3-pointers in his offense, taking more than ever in his career. While Green is adjusting, there is no guarantee that he will find a regular part in Kerr’s rotation in the future.