Golden State Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob clarified that Draymond Green was never involved in trade talks ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline. Speaking to the San Francisco standardsaid Lacob: “He was never discussed in a trade; Mike was 100% right about what he said. I know he got a lot of crap for that. And it looked defensive. I mean, I think he would say that in retrospect.”
Lacob emphasized that high-level trade conversations rarely include individual names unless the discussions become serious. “You don’t just joke about names unless you get serious,” he explained. “People can look at the roster and make assumptions about who should go or who should not go. But his name was never specifically discussed with any other team. And that is the truth.”
Green, 35, revealed on The Draymond Green Show that the 2026 trade deadline was his first major exposure to serious trade speculation. “My experience in trade negotiations makes it really the first time my name has actually been mentioned in serious trade negotiations outside of maybe the first year of my career,” he said. The veteran emphasized that winning with Golden State had shielded him from trade talk for much of his career.
The Warriors ultimately traded Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis and sent Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Toronto Raptors for a second-round pick. Lacob emphasized that Green remains a core player, saying, “You don’t trade a Draymond Green simply or easily. You do it if you have to, and you get tremendous value and improve your team. Even Draymond has said he understands that.”
Through 47 games this season, Green is averaging 8.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 26.5 minutes per game while shooting 40.9% from the field and 32% from three. His veteran leadership complements Stephen Curry, who leads the team with 27.2 points per game, and Jimmy Butler with 20 points per game.
The Warriors, currently 30-27 and eighth in the Western Conference, look to stay in contention for the playoffs and adjust to Porzingis’ upcoming debut. Lacob said the roster changes provided maximum flexibility and design assets without compromising the team’s competitiveness.
Green described the emotional impact of trade uncertainty, but remained committed to the organization’s goals. “Joe Lacob will never be okay with just losing,” he said. “The Dubs want to be competitive, we will always try to stay competitive and give ourselves a chance.”
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