A massive offseason acquisition is the last thing on the Golden State Warriors’ minds approaching the postseason.
Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and the Dubs could shock the world by turning up the heat in the playoffs and frightening the top dogs.
However, Golden State’s inability to end the 2024-25 season with flair could make swapping Draymond Green for a Western Conference All-Star a legitimate possibility in the offseason.
“Given (Kevin) Durant's hefty $54.7 million salary in 2025-26, Golden State would almost certainly have to include Draymond Green in this deal,” Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey wrote Monday.
“With the personality clashes between Draymond and KD, that might actually get the former Warrior to soften his stance on returning to the Bay.”
“Much of the rest of the incoming salary could be offset by a sign-and-trade involving restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, who still has plenty of promise but wasn't in Golden State's rotation in its final game of the season.”
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“As for what a deal like this might mean for the Warriors on the floor, this would obviously and dramatically change the team. Draymond has been the backbone of this defense for well over a decade. His versatility and intensity set the team's identity as much as anyone but Stephen Curry.”
“But another early playoff exit this year would make it five of the last six years ending well shy of a title. And that might be enough to justify a philosophical shift.”
Bailey’s trade proposal would send Green, Kuminga (sign-and-trade), Buddy Hield, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant.
After firing Mike Budenholzer on Monday, it’s safe to say the Suns are still searching for an identity.
Although Durant’s scoring and shooting splits were impressive this year (26.6 points per game on 52.7% field goal shooting and 39.0% three-point shooting), it would be logical for the Suns to begin rebuilding by parting with him this summer.
Phoenix has repeatedly failed to meet or exceed expectations with Durant (zero Western Conference finals from 2023-25), giving the Warriors a chance to take him off their hands for good.
Durant controversially secured two NBA titles with the Dubs after joining Curry in the Bay in 2016.
The two-time Finals MVP occasionally bumped heads with Green during his three-year stint with the organization, but still found a way to help Golden State prevail when it mattered.
With Curry nearing the end of his career, forming a Big Three with him, Durant, and Butler would allow the best shooter of all time to improve his odds of adding another ring to his superb resume before retiring from the NBA.
While Golden State fans would miss Green in the Bay, the Warriors would be in great shape for another NBA Finals run in Curry’s late 30s.
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