Golden State Warriors Nearly Traded Draymond Green For An Unbelievable Package

Draymond Green has been a featured face of the Golden State Warriors for years, but the latest intel out of San Francisco has revealed that the 4x champion was nearly traded to the Grizzlies for an unexpected return. Reportedly, the Warriors were in the final stages of giving up Draymond in a swap for Steven Adams, Dillon Brooks, and Tyus Jones.

"There was a deal in place [in Summer 2023] to send Draymond to Memphis… In that trade, Steven Adams would have come back to Golden State along with Dillon Brooks and Tyus Jones," said Logan Murdock on the Zach Lowe Show. "The reason why that deal fell through is because Tyus Jones got re-routed to Washington [in the Porzingis-Marcus Smart trade]."

The offseason has officially begun for the Warriors after a second-round defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves. With Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry, they'll be looking to add to their supporting cast this summer, but options are limited on the trade front.

Recently, some Warriors fans have even been calling for a Draymond Green trade. And while Dray is not currently on the market, the Warriors have already tried to get rid of him in the past. The reported trade negotiations with the Grizzlies happened only two years ago, in the summer of 2023.

Fresh off an elimination to the Lakers in the Conference Semifinals, the Warriors knew they needed to mix things up to stay competitive in the final stretch of Stephen Curry's career. After winning four championships and a Defensive Player of the Year, Golden State did not want to trade Draymond but something had to give for a team with one of the highest payrolls in the NBA.

Of course, nobody would have expected the Warriors to deal with one of their biggest rivals at the time. Just a year prior, the Warriors and Grizzlies met in a brutal second-round series, and things got downright personal between Draymond, Dillon Brooks, and the other Grizzlies players.

Whatever the Warriors saw in that series, it was enough to convince them that they'd be better off with Dillon Brooks, Tyus Jones, and Steven Adams over Draymond Green. While Brooks brings the defense and toughness that Green provides, he's not nearly the same kind of playmaker, and he doesn't have any built-up chemistry with Steph.

The same could be said for Steven Adams. As much as his size and strength would help the Warriors' frontcourt, he's not nearly as versatile as Draymond, who can play and defend all five positions on the court.

Today, with Brooks on the Rockets and Tyus Jones on the Suns, it's already too late for the Warriors to revisit that trade, but they're probably better off with Draymond anyway. While he continues to blur the lines with what's appropriate on the court, his game is undeniable with averages of 9.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game on 42.4% shooting.

He has set the tone on defense, allowing the Warriors to finish 7th in the West with a 48-34 record. At 35 years old, Draymond is approaching the end of his storied career, but he firmly believes that the Warriors can win at least one more championship with him, Steph Curry, and Jimmy Butler leading the way.