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By Ernesto Cova
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Last season, the Golden State Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler. Then, this year, they reportedly tried to get their hands on Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose departure from the Milwaukee Bucks seemed imminent.
Of course, acquiring the Greek superstar was a tall order, not only because of the potential asking price but also because of salary-matching considerations.
As such, all signs pointed to Draymond Green as the odd man out in the Bay Area. Giannis and Green ultimately stayed put, but, in a recent conversation with ESPN's Anthony Slater, Stephen Curry acknowledged that, as much as he didn't have a say in that, it may have been a necessary sacrifice to get better:
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“I didn't spend time on the conversation,” Curry told Slater. “But I guess Giannis is the only one that would've made sense. And I think, to his point, any team would've looked at that. But we never got there. I guess I'm the only one that is off the board, out of the conversation, but you have to be naïve to not understand the business side of it.”
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Green has been a pillar of the Warriors' dynasty for over a decade now. This wasn't the first time he was rumored to be available, and as tough as it would've been for him, he'd also understand:
“I understand this business probably [as] good as any player,” Green said. “I understand like, yo, this is Giannis Antetokounmpo. They not just about to trade me for a bag of peanuts. It would've almost been a point of pride.”
Whether the Warriors will re-ignite their pursuit of Giannis in the offseason remains to be seen. Green has a player option, so he has more control over his own destiny, though he's always been vocal about being a Warrior for life.
The Dubs, however, already parted ways with franchise legend Klay Thompson in the earlier days of the Mike Dunleavy Jr. era, and with no allegiances to what's left of the dynasty, all players not named Steph Curry might be on the table in San Francisco.
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