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Draymond Green Reflects on Possibility of Playing Last Warriors Game

Warriors star refelcts on situation with NBA trade deadline looming.
Draymond Green has possibly played his last game as a Golden State Warrior.
Draymond Green has possibly played his last game as a Golden State Warrior. | Justine Willard-Imagn Images

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Draymond Green's future with the Golden State Warriors is up in the air with the NBA's trade deadline looming. It's entirely possible that his dynastic run with the team that drafted him will come to an end and Tuesday night's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers will be his last game with the organization. Things did not go well for the Warriors in the 113-94 defeat that dropped them to 27-24 on the year, good for eighth in the Western Conference.

But Green was able to look at the big picture when weighing in on the situation with the media.

"I think a lot of people want to know how I feel about it, like am I upset about it," Green said. "I'm not at all. If that's what's best for this organization, that's what's best for the organization."

"If it ends, what a f------ run it has been," Green added.

By any metric, Green is right. In his 13-plus years in the Bay Area he has been the edgy heart of a ridiculously successful franchise and an integral part of four NBA championships. He's excelled playing the perfect role for his skill set and more than likely will be a Hall of Famer for his efforts.

Before Tuesday night's game, Green's longtime coach, Steve Kerr, relayed his conversations with Green about the situation.

“I talked to him a little bit about it yesterday,” Kerr said. “I just try to get a feel for what’s out there and what’s happening. If I need to step in and say something or talk to a guy, I’ll do that. This is probably the first time since I’ve been here that his name has been mentioned in trade talks. It’s different, but it’s also part of the league and part of almost every player’s journey.”

Asked about those comments. Green revealed their impact.

"That's when it got real for me," he said. "Maybe I should be a little more worried about this than I am."

Whatever happens with Green, his legacy as an all-time great member of the franchise is eternally cemented. And if his existence helps the Warriors land Giannis Antetokounmpo then it will be one last act for fans to appreciate.

Or he could wake up on Friday still a member of the band, playing rhythm guitar for Stephen Curry as he has forever with the goal of sneaking into the playoffs and making some noise.


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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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