Draymond Green and Kevin Durant’s attempt at controlling the narrative behind their sideline argument (almost three years ago) that happened early in KD’s final season in Golden State may be pointless at this juncture.
It is great to see the two friends back on good terms, but it feels like there could be more to this drawn-out saga. The former Warriors teammates sat down on Green’s show ‘Chips’ and discussed life, basketball, and the now-infamous incident against the Los Angeles Clippers in November of 2018.
Both men blamed Warriors management (Steve Ker & Bob Myers) for driving Durant away from the team during the interview. Or as Green so eloquently phrased it, “y’all gone f**k this sh*t up.” And they did, according to Green and Durant.
But I think there is more here, more to this whole sit-down interview. Recently the Warriors have been mentioned in plenty of trade rumors, and in many of them, Green has been the focal point. The most prominent rumor, of course, involves Green being swapped for Sixers non-shooting guard Ben Simmons.
Simmons, who is seen as a younger, more athletic version of Green, could potentially be a great fit in Golden State. But the prospects of Simmons and Green playing together on the Warriors isn’t looking too great. Any trade involving the Sixers and Warriors would most likely need to include Green heading to Philly along with other pieces.
This interview and the blame game played by Green and Durant feels like Draymond’s way of getting back at Kerr and Myers. We know Green is strong and prideful, but he’s also an emotional player, which is evident in his style on the court.
Once Green began hearing his name involved in trade rumors, it had to tick him off. As head coach of the Warriors, Kerr probably could have handled the situation better, and the same goes for Myers. But to dump this whole ordeal in their laps is just ludicrous.
One name that has drawn attention by not being mentioned during the interview is Steph Curry.
The face of the Warriors franchise seems to be catching some criticism over the incident, although he was not on the court when it took place. Curry didn’t even play that game, having suffered a groin injury a couple of games earlier. So, we don’t know if Curry said anything to either player about what happened afterward. It feels like people are assuming Curry likely did not intervene based on his quiet, laid-back demeanor.
Either way, this is something that Green and Durant should have worked through long ago. They were the only two that genuinely could have fixed this soon after it happened. Green even says as much during the interview with Durant. So how we got to this point is beyond me, i.e. blaming everyone outside of the individuals that actually took part in this incident. All parties should have handled things differently, but Green should still be in the eye of this storm.
Another thing I thought about is this could be Green’s way of saying he’s ready to move on and wants out. After hearing all of those trade rumors with his name at the forefront and taking on the blame for Durant leaving town, Green may be ready to take his talents elsewhere for the last few years of his career. While Green is the heart of this Warriors team, it doesn’t seem like he respects the people he works with, or even likes them much at this point. This isn’t a requirement, but it sure helps team morale and the working environment. Green may just be fed up, and throwing management under the bus can be a quick way out of town, if that’s what he desires.
But if Green does return to Golden State this season, that’s a relationship that will never be the same moving forward. Green bounced back with a solid season last year, but the second he begins to show any erosion in his game, that may be the opening for the Warriors to justify moving on from the Bay Area fan favorite.
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