{"id":467147,"date":"2026-02-08T21:08:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T21:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/467147\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T21:08:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T21:08:15","slug":"how-mike-dunleavy-wrestled-with-draymond-greens-trade-deadline-uncertainty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/467147\/","title":{"rendered":"How Mike Dunleavy wrestled with Draymond Green\u2019s trade deadline uncertainty"},"content":{"rendered":"

Want more ways to catch up on the latest in Bay Area sports? Sign up for the <\/a>Section 415 email newsletter here<\/a> and subscribe to the \u201cSection 415″ podcast <\/a>wherever you listen<\/a>.<\/p>\n

LOS ANGELES \u2014 On this day a year ago, in the same room tucked inside Crypto.com (opens in new tab)<\/a> Arena, Mike Dunleavy explained how Jimmy Butler was about to change the Warriors\u2019 season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He was right. The general manager\u2019s signature acquisition joined the team and spearheaded a 23-8 finish. In the year since trading for Butler until the wing tore his ACL in January, only three teams in the league won more games than the Warriors.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dunleavy had another trade deadline to explain on Saturday evening. After joking that the Warriors might as well make a trip to Los Angeles for the deadline an annual tradition, this conversation struck a bit of a different tone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dunleavy projected wary optimism that Kristaps Porzingis, the newly acquired, oft-injured stretch-center, could stay healthy and give the Warriors a boost similar to Butler\u2019s. He expressed frustration with media reports, particularly regarding Draymond Green\u2019s inclusion in a hypothetical Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, insisting there was \u201cnever a possibility of him not being here\u201d before bristling at the line of questioning.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The GM spoke before the Warriors (28-25) fell to the Lakers, 105-99. Golden State has two games until the All-Star break, of which Porzingis is already ruled out. Steph Curry, who\u2019s doubtful to play Tuesday because of his lingering runner\u2019s knee, may also sit through the break.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dunleavy said he doesn\u2019t really have expectations for the rest of the season because so much of it hinges on health, but he\u2019s confident the Warriors will continue to compete.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite the idea that we\u2019re not in the mix, we\u2019re fading, all this stuff \u2014 the reality is, up until Jimmy got hurt, we were pretty good,\u201d Dunleavy said. \u201cAnd I think we\u2019re trending in the right direction. Now we\u2019ve had to pivot a little bit. I think adding Kristaps can help. But, you know, this group is kind of what it is.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Draymond Green gray area\u00a0<\/p>\n

To make a trade with Milwaukee work, the Warriors would have had to include either Green or Butler to match salaries. Sources told The Standard that the team strongly indicated that it was committed to keeping Butler.<\/a> <\/p>\n

Green admitted he didn\u2019t know whether or not he\u2019d be traded until the minute the deadline passed. The defensive ace gave a full if this is it\u2026<\/a> press conference on Tuesday. The deadline was a \u201cweird,\u201d \u201cnerve-wracking\u201d 24 hours, he said, and he doesn\u2019t want to make the uncertainty a habit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Green revealed on his podcast (opens in new tab)<\/a> that Dunleavy walked him through the framework of a possible Antetokounmpo trade that would\u2019ve involved either him or Butler.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what it said to me in that moment was there\u2019s a chance I may get traded for Giannis, because he didn\u2019t rule it out,\u201d Green said. \u201cHe didn\u2019t say, \u2018We\u2019re not putting you in the deal.\u2019 So I took that as, all right, it\u2019ll probably be me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dunleavy said Green\u2019s name was only in conversations when teams called about him. The GM said the idea that Green survived the deadline with the Warriors is \u201cgreatly exaggerated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was never a possibility of him not being here,\u201d Dunleavy said. \u201cRemotely close, to be honest. I\u2019ve conveyed that to him, I think he knows that. But when stuff comes up in the media, it feels different for the players. I think that was the first time that happened for Draymond. So, he\u2019s dealing with it in a certain way. But the reality is, nothing was close. And nothing was considered. Draymond was not being shopped or talked about in deals. So, it\u2019s a little misleading.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

That led into the spiciest moment of Dunleavy\u2019s availability.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If nothing was close for Green, is it safe to assume a trade for Antetokounmpo was never close?<\/p>\n

1 day ago<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a><\/p>\n

4 days ago<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Friday, Jan. 30<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy\u2019s that?\u201d Dunleavy asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Well, because Green would\u2019ve had to be in the deal. Either him or Butler.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, well, you\u2019re putting words in my mouth. That\u2019s an unbelievable assumption.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, was Butler on the table, then?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. No. No. We\u2019re not doing that. I\u2019m not going down the roster, talking about who\u2019s in trades, who\u2019s not. We don\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, did Dunleavy get caught in a lie? Not exactly. <\/p>\n

It never made much sense for the Bucks to trade Antetokounmpo midseason, and there\u2019s a belief around the league that they were never all that serious about moving him before the deadline.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, if discussions never advanced to the point of a formal offer, a possible scenario, then the Warriors would\u2019ve had no need to put Green \u2014 or any particular player, really \u2014 on the table. Their offer would\u2019ve centered on draft picks, anyway.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Call it Schrodinger\u2019s trade offer. Dunleavy didn\u2019t need to ensure that Green would remain with Golden State because there wasn\u2019t a deal to be made.<\/p>\n

The Porzingis addition<\/p>\n

Porzingis, 30, joined the team in Los Angeles, reuniting with his old Celtics teammate Al Horford. After the game, he had a long chat with Curry in the locker room.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dunleavy watched him go through a morning workout with team director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini. <\/p>\n

Porzingis said he wants to return for Golden State\u2019s first game out of the break, at home against Boston on Feb. 19. He has dealt with POTS and lower-body ailments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Porzingis has played just 17 games this season and has been sidelined since Jan. 7. The Warriors did their due diligence, Dunleavy said, and have faith that their renowned medical team can work its magic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

All Porzingis cost was Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, who have spent large parts of this season either out of the rotation or, in Kuminga\u2019s case, injured.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWith where he\u2019s at right now, where he\u2019s been, we feel good about it,\u201d Dunleavy said of Porzingis. \u201cThen on the other end of it, in terms of what we\u2019re sending out, we were sending out a player in a similar boat, who has struggled to stay on the floor. So, from our standpoint, we recognize the risk medically, but it\u2019s a risk\/reward.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Asked if he\u2019ll be on a minutes limit upon his eventual return, Porzingis joked that he\u2019ll play all 48 minutes.<\/p>\n

The Warriors have long sought a center who can space the floor and protect the rim to pair with Green. If he\u2019s right, Porzingis is exactly that.<\/p>\n

Porzingis is a career 36.6% 3-point shooter on high volume. (opens in new tab)<\/a> At 7-foot-2, his jump shot is practically unblockable. He also likes to take 3-pointers from deep behind the arc, stretching opposing defenses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On paper, he makes an extremely potent frontcourt partner for Green.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, Draymond has always been one of the toughest guys for me to play against,\u201d Porzingis said. \u201cI know who he is, and how annoying he is for other guys. So to have him on my side now, it\u2019s going to be pretty cool.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Beyond his 3-point shot, Porzingis should help the Warriors\u2019 search for consistent offense in the non-Curry minutes. He\u2019s one of the most efficient post-up scorers in the league because of how effective he is against smaller players; he has registered 1.23 points per possession on post-ups, ranking 10th in the NBA.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Everything with Porzingis comes on the condition of good health.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a great, great opportunity to turn a new page,\u201d Porzi\u0146\u0123is said. \u201cFrom what I\u2019ve seen, and the conversations I\u2019ve had so far with the medical staff here, and the people that work here, I have to say I\u2019m very surprised and very optimistic. I\u2019m in really, really good hands, if not some of the best hands, and I think that will also add to what I already have in my mind. So, I look forward to really having a surprisingly good post All-Star break.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AThe Warriors added Kristaps Porzingis in the deal that sent Jonathan Kuminga to Atlanta. | Source: Colin Hubbard\/Associated PressLooking ahead to the summer\u00a0<\/p>\n

In part of Dunleavy\u2019s opening statement, he mentioned that the Warriors\u2019 deadline moves set them up well for the summer. That wasn\u2019t the front office\u2019s primary motivation, rather an added benefit of not taking on long-term salary.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Porzingis is on an expiring $30 million deal. The Warriors have his Bird Rights, so there\u2019s a pathway to bringing him back. But the team could also let him come off their books or look to sign-and-trade him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ducking below the tax threshold is a possibility. The Warriors have been a tax team every year since 2020-21. One team-building benefit from dipping under the tax would be opening up the non-taxpayer midlevel exception.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t really gone down that road, but we\u2019ll always look at it,\u201d Dunleavy said. \u201cI\u2019d say, sure, it\u2019s a possibility. But our chips are all-in on winning. And usually that comes with spending.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Warriors still have hardly any money committed after 2027<\/a>. And by not sending out any future draft picks, the Warriors can build a strong trade package for a star-level talent in the summer, albeit a similar one to what they had for the deadline.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dunleavy said the team is willing to do whatever it takes to upgrade the roster while it\u2019s in win-now mode with Curry. He said the pursuit of Antetokounmpo didn\u2019t prevent the Warriors from making other deals, and that they\u2019re open to adding a player on a long-term contract.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got the goods to make deals,\u201d Dunleavy said. \u201cI think, the only way we wouldn\u2019t be in the mix is if we gave out assets, young players, all the things you need to get a great player. We still have all that. I think that\u2019s one of the reasons the KP trade is really good for us, similar to Jimmy last year. We don\u2019t feel like we gave up a ton. So, we still have kind of the firepower to move forward and do more deals.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Want more ways to catch up on the latest in Bay Area sports? Sign up for the Section…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":467148,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,7901,5552,590,85],"class_list":["post-467147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-draymond-green","tag-golden-state-warriors","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=467147"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467147\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/467148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=467147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=467147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=467147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}