Draymond Green Told Warriors to Avoid Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen

When the buzz surrounding a potential trade for Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen was at its loudest, the Golden State Warriors were one of the teams sitting atop the list of potential suitors with a chance to make a move for him.

The Warriors, looking to maximize the final years of Steph Curry's storied career, made sense as a fit for Markkanen on paper. They have a few appealing young pieces and picks, could find a place for him in the frontcourt with his versatility, and gained traction around league headlines because of it.

However, according to ESPN's Anthony Slater, one notable name on the Warriors' roster, three-time Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green, was seemingly not on board with a move to pick up Markkanen, and even advised Golden State's general manager and owner not to make the trade.

"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," Slater wrote.

"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."

Draymond Green Told Warriors Not to Deal With Danny Ainge

Oct 5, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) dribbles upcourt against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Green looked at Jazz CEO Danny Ainge's track record with big, monumental deals like a Markkanen trade would shake up to be, and clearly felt it wasn't in the Warriors' best interest to be the ones to try and make that push.

Ainge is the same mastermind behind the construction of deals like the Boston Celtics' robbery with the Brooklyn Nets to acquire the draft selections that would be Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and the one who crafted Utah's two biggest blockbusters in recent history to ship out Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Markkanen was a trade chip being valued in a similarly high regard to try and obtain a sizable package in return. But Green wasn't willing to let the Warriors be the one to pull the trigger and take that gamble. Rumors with the Warriors eventually would stall across both this summer and next, thus leaving the Jazz star still onboard in Utah today.

It's not to say the Warriors had the right package in mind for Ainge for a Markkanen deal to truly be on the table, or that a move was imminently on the table without Green's advice. However, a reality check to Golden State might've been a slight motivator towards being hesitant on making a big splash to add another star into the lineup, even with the best interests of getting the most out of Curry's final years.

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