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Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors <\/p>\n
Golden State Warriors<\/a> general manager Mike Dunleavy<\/a> Jr. strongly denied reports that franchise cornerstone Draymond Green<\/a> was offered in trade discussions involving Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>, calling the speculation misleading and overstated.<\/p>\n Speaking to reporters Saturday before Golden State\u2019s game against the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a>, Dunleavy said Green was never seriously in play at the trade deadline.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve walked that back a little bit,\u201d Dunleavy said<\/a>. \u201cHis name was not in conversations other than the ones where teams call me and ask about him, which they do every year. So nothing\u2019s new there.\u201d<\/p>\n Dunleavy: Draymond Green Was Never Close to Being Moved<\/p>\n Dunleavy emphasized that Green\u2019s future with the Warriors was never in jeopardy, despite widespread reports suggesting otherwise.<\/p>\n \u201cThe idea that he stayed with the Warriors past the deadline was greatly exaggerated,\u201d Dunleavy said. \u201cIt was never, never a possibility of him not being here \u2014 remotely close to me, to be honest \u2014 and I\u2019ve conveyed that to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Dunleavy acknowledged that the volume of public speculation may have affected Green differently than in previous seasons.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen stuff comes up in the media, it feels different for players,\u201d Dunleavy said. \u201cI think that\u2019s the first time it happened for Draymond, so he\u2019s dealing with it in a certain way.\u201d<\/p>\n Conflicting Reports Emerge Around Giannis Trade Framework<\/p>\n The Warriors were frequently linked to Antetokounmpo during the deadline window, though no deal materialized.<\/p>\n NBA<\/a> insider Marc Stein previously reported<\/a> that Golden State\u2019s conceptual framework in Giannis discussions included Green, Jonathan Kuminga<\/a>, Milwaukee native Brandin Podziemski<\/a>, and significant draft capital.<\/p>\n Golden State controls up to four first-round picks and a pick swap, giving the front office considerable flexibility among contending teams.<\/p>\n Dunleavy, however, rejected the notion that Green was ever formally included.<\/p>\n \u201cBut the reality is, nothing was close and nothing was considered,\u201d Dunleavy said. \u201cDraymond was not being shopped or talked about in deals, so it\u2019s a little misleading.\u201d<\/p>\n Bucks Hold Firm on Giannis, Warriors Pivot at Deadline<\/p>\n Ultimately, the Milwaukee Bucks<\/a> decided against trading Antetokounmpo, closing the door on blockbuster scenarios that lingered through the deadline.<\/p>\n Once it became clear Giannis would remain in Milwaukee, Golden State pivoted quickly.<\/p>\n The Warriors finalized a deal sending Kuminga and Buddy Hield<\/a> in exchange for center Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is<\/a>, reshaping their frontcourt for the stretch run.<\/p>\n The move reflected a pragmatic shift by the front office, prioritizing size, rim protection, and floor spacing rather than continuing to pursue a superstar deal that was no longer<\/p>\n Warriors Bet on Porzi\u0146\u0123is\u2013Green Frontcourt After Butler Injury<\/p>\n Golden State envisions the Porzi\u0146\u0123is\u2013Green frontcourt pairing as a stabilizing force capable of carrying the team through the remainder of the season, particularly after Jimmy Butler<\/a> suffered a season-ending ACL injury in January.<\/p>\n With Butler sidelined, the Warriors recalibrated their rotation around versatility and matchup flexibility. Porzi\u0146\u0123is provides shooting gravity and rim protection, allowing Green to remain the defensive anchor and primary communicator.<\/p>\n The organization believes the pairing preserves lineup adaptability on both ends of the floor while maintaining the identity that has defined Golden State\u2019s success.<\/p>\n Draymond Green Addresses Deadline Tension<\/p>\n Green addressed the uncertainty himself in the days leading up to the deadline, offering an unusually candid reflection on the swirling rumors.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know that it ends at 13 and a half, but if it does, what a [expletive] run it\u2019s been,\u201d Green told reporters<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019ll take the fine for it. What a run it\u2019s been.\u201d<\/p>\n Green said he harbored no resentment toward the organization.<\/p>\n \u201cIf that\u2019s what\u2019s best for this organization, that\u2019s what\u2019s best for the organization,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n After the Warriors\u2019 101\u201397 comeback win over the Phoenix Suns<\/a> on Thursday, Green admitted the final hours were tense.<\/p>\n \u201cIt got nerve-racking toward the end,\u201d Green said<\/a>. \u201cBut yeah, it is what it is. Move forward. It\u2019s not something I want to get used to, though.\u201d<\/p>\n Warriors Move Forward With Core Intact<\/p>\n With the deadline behind them, Dunleavy said both the organization and Green are aligned.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s in a great spot,\u201d Dunleavy said. \u201cAnd so are we moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n As the Warriors turn their attention back to the court, Dunleavy\u2019s comments aim to close the door on speculation that briefly overshadowed another chapter of Green\u2019s long tenure in Golden State \u2014 while the franchise moves ahead with a recalibrated roster and its core intact.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. strongly…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":280032,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[85,46,105],"class_list":{"0":"post-280031","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-il","9":"tag-israel","10":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280031"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280031\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}