With Kristaps Porzingis making his debut for the Golden State Warriors after being acquired at the February 5 trade deadline, there was also talk of his involvement in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes with the Milwaukee Bucks. As the Warriors look to make a move that can take them back to the top, the pursuit of Antetokounmpo was inevitable, although owner Joe Lacob dismissed reports on what was offered.
According to reports from ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Siegel and ESPN’s Golden State beat reporter Anthony Slater, star Draymond Green was involved in talks for Antetokounmpo. Although general manager Mike Dunleavy says Green was never offered, Lacob echoed that notion, saying, “He was never discussed in a trade.”
“What Mike said was 100% correct,” Lacob said, via the San Francisco Standard. “But the truth is, the way these things are, you can’t easily joke about names unless you get serious. We’ve never partnered on some big deals to the point where you get into specific names. People can look at the roster, and they can make assumptions about who’s going to go or not if you have a certain person.”
Warriors’ Joe Lacob expresses how Draymond Green wasn’t ‘bought’
While the Warriors are hoping for a deep playoff push, there is no doubt that the team is at a disadvantage due to Jimmy Butler’s season-ending injury and the continued absence of Stephen Curry. Green has been a key part in Golden State’s dynasty for several seasons, but reporting was that his name was mentioned in a potential deal due to his salary, but Lacob expressed how “he was never bought in any way.”
Lacob said, “He’s a key guy in our franchise. You can’t trade Draymond Green lightly or easily.” “If you have to do it, you do it, and you’re getting tremendous value, and you’re improving your team. Even Drummond has said he understands that. You have to look at these things. But his name was never specifically discussed with any other team. And that’s true.”
At any rate, it remains to be seen whether the Warriors will continue to pursue Antetokounmpo in the offseason and whether Green will be involved.
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