Why Draymond Green rejected a proposed Lauri Markkanen trade, Warriors were ready to bring him in

Draymond Green vetoed Lauri Markkanen trade because of Danny Ainge

Draymond Green, along with the rest of the Golden State Warriors, spoke to ESPN’s Anthony Slater to discuss the process of putting together their new roster.

As it turns out, prior to the 2024-25 offseason, Draymond Green told the Warriors not to trade for Lauri Markkanen, as he knew Danny Ainge wouldn’t settle for anything less than the highest price.

“Green even told Dunleavy and controlling owner Joe Lacob the summer prior not to green-light a trade for Lauri Markkanen, considering the Utah Jazz were asking for all the draft picks and young players.”

“‘I’m a big fan of [Markkanen’s] game,’ Green said. ‘But I think if you want to do something so huge, you better be certain that this is the move. You usually don’t win those things against Danny Ainge. I look at history.'”

Given how difficult Danny Ainge can be when negotiating with other teams, it might be for the best that the Warriors gave up their pursuit of him.

Golden State Warriors can win championships with Jimmy Butler

Instead of trading for Lauri Markkanen before last season, the Warriors attempted several different roster rotations during the season, before trading for Jimmy Butler in February.

Since his arrival, the Warriors have looked like an entirely different team, putting on stellar performances whenever at full health.

Their second-round loss to the Timberwolves came mostly because Stephen Curry was injured. After making reinforcements to their roster this summer, the Warriors are ready to be in the title mix.

And with the start they’ve made to the NBA season, the Warriors could be one of the most dangerous teams in the league.