The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets pulled off inarguably the biggest deal of this year’s NBA trade deadline when they swapped disgruntled superstars.
Ben Simmons, who had been bleeding cash and refusing to play for Philly, was shipped off to the Nets. James Harden, who had been beefing with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and possibly many more of his teammates who have chosen to remain anonymous, was sent to the 76ers.
Just like that, the whole Eastern Conference changed.
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green, who was watching everything unfold from a safe distance, took quick stock of the ever-shifting NBA landscape once all the dust settled.
This week, in a conversation with Sam Amick of The Athletic, Green offered a pretty astute assessment of the drama surrounding both Simmons and Harden.
“I think honestly, for me, you watched two Eastern conference teams make each other better,” Green said. “I think they both got better in the trade.
“And I mean, I only have to face one of those teams (in the Finals). So it (doesn’t) really matter to me which one is better. Ultimately, to reach my goal, I’ve got to face one of them.”
It’s hard to argue with Green there.
Whether he is opening up about the one NBA squad he came close to signing with before re-signing with the Warriors or calling out stars who are out of shape, Green has a tendency to keep it real. As such, his honesty as it pertains to the Simmons-Harden drama is unsurprising.
It will be interesting to see how the Nets and 76ers ultimately finish the season. And if one of those teams eventually makes it to the NBA Finals, it will be doubly intriguing to see how Green handles having to go up against it to win a fourth NBA title.
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