Once Luka Doncic was traded, a cloud of anxiety enveloped players across the NBA. Players began to realize that no one was truly safe from being moved. That includes Draymond Green, who had doubts about his own future despite spending the last 12 seasons with the Golden State Warriors.
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Green’s name has surfaced on the trade block in the past, with him being linked to teams like the Lakers who have seemingly wanted the former Defensive Player of the Year. Such rumors did not have much truth in them and Dray has always implied that he wants to retire a Warrior.
After Doncic was moved, though, Draymond was no longer relaxed about his standing with the Dubs. Warriors inside Anthony Slater explained how it’s difficult for players not to have trust issues after witnessing how the superstar guard was blindsided.
The Dallas Mavericks trade of Doncic made Green believe that he could be traded, especially when the Warriors were deep in talks to acquire Kevin Durant. The former MVP wasn’t interested in reuniting with his former franchise, but Slater revealed that Draymond was involved in those discussions. “Draymond Green’s name was floated during the Durant talks. You could tell he was more on edge,” Slater said.
NBA players might have trust issues after Luka Dončić’s trade
“Everyone’s thinking, ‘Anything is possible,’ at the trade deadline now.” – @ChandlerParsons
“Draymond Green’s name was floated during the Durant talks. You could tell he was more on edge.” – @anthonyVslater pic.twitter.com/wGvd1e7uJb
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 12, 2025
The reason behind KD having been lethal for the Warriors was due to the existence of Green out on the floor. The pseudo-‘floor general’ was the true orchestrator of the offense, controlling offensive hubs like Curry and Durant over the course of multiple possessions. If he were to be moved, the potency of that offense would be brought into question as Kerr would have to completely revamp his playbook.
Golden State was already looking to upgrade its lineup long before the trade deadline approached, but the Doncic trade clearly created a sense of panic throughout the Warriors’ roster. It made fellow stars who have only played with one team in their careers, question the loyalty of their front offices.
The Doncic trade convinced the Warriors to go all-in
The Warriors were already known to be targeting a co-star for Stephen Curry, but the team seemingly couldn’t land on one player they wanted. Instead, the Dubs reportedly asked just about every team in the league about their respective stars’ availability. According to Slater, it wasn’t until after the Doncic trade went down when Golden State decided to get serious about acquiring a needle-moving talent.
“Suddenly LeBron has Luka, and it was like you better get Steph somebody,” Slater added. Curry is still a top point guard in the game, but at 36-years-old, time is catching up to him and the Warriors knew they had to respond to the Lakers’ bold move.
Luka Dončić to the Lakers made the Warriors eager to make a deadline trade such as acquiring Jimmy Butler.
“Suddenly LeBron has Luka and it was like you better get Steph somebody.” – @anthonyVslater
https://t.co/FWgHBvSJSt@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/pMP4xX5Kar
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 12, 2025
The Warriors obviously weren’t capable of making as big of a splash as Los Angeles was, but the franchise did come away with a star of their own. Jimmy Butler has already made a positive impact as a sensible complement to Steph’s deep-range skillset. After winning their first two games together, Butler and Curry will look to resurrect Golden State’s mediocre season.
