{"id":175827,"date":"2026-02-04T06:00:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T11:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=175827"},"modified":"2026-02-03T23:33:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T04:33:27","slug":"trading-draymond-green-for-giannis-high-risk-as-deadline-nears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/02\/04\/trading-draymond-green-for-giannis-high-risk-as-deadline-nears\/","title":{"rendered":"Trading Draymond Green for Giannis: High Risk as Deadline Nears"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/greendr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Draymond Green<\/a> is linked to a possible <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/antetgi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a> trade as the Warriors face a high-risk decision with the NBA trade deadline approaching.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div><span>Green has spent his entire 14-year NBA career with the Golden State Warriors, but now it seems to be <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/02\/01\/should-warriors-trade-draymond-green-jimmy-butler-for-giannis-antetokounmpo\/2\/\" target=\"_self\">nearing its end<\/a>. The Warriors&#8217; power forward has surfaced in high-level trade discussions regarding a possible move for Antetokounmpo, as Golden State look to reshape their season. The fact that they&#8217;re willing to trade a four-time champion veteran shows how serious their situation has become.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span>Trading Draymond Green for Giannis: High Risk as Deadline Nears<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span>How Draymond Became Linked to the Giannis Talks<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NBA Today | Shams BREAKING Warriors put Draymond Green on the trade block in Giannis pursuit\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3XSY1hPSFBU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div><span>The Warriors are reportedly considering a shock trade that could send their former Defensive Player of the Year to the Milwaukee Bucks, according to The Athletic\u2019s <a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/sam_amick\/status\/2018787173315837993\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sam Amick<\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span>Warriors owner Joe Lacob is looking to shake up the franchise&#8217;s future, adding <\/span><span>Green to the trade block alongside picks and young talent like <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kuminjo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jonathan Kuminga<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/moodymo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Moses Moody<\/a>. <\/span>The news may have come as a surprise to the NBA world, but with the Warriors dealing with major injuries and sitting just above .500 at <span>27-23, tough decisions were inevitable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>For the first time in over a decade, Golden State are willing to consider parting ways with one of their core dynasty cornerstones. Removing this piece risks a lot, but <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/01\/25\/why-giannis-and-lebron-are-emerging-as-warriors-targets\/\" target=\"_self\">pursuing a transformative star<\/a> like <span>Antetokounmpo<\/span>\u00a0is probably their best move for the future in terms of leadership, experience and versatility.<\/p>\n<h3><span>What a Blockbuster Deal Could Mean for the Warriors\u2019 Future<\/span><\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_175870\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-175870\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27955471_168402037_lowres-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Jan 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) vies for a rebound against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23), center Quinten Post (21) and guard Moses Moody (4) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" class=\"wp-image-175870 size-large\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27955471_168402037_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27955471_168402037_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27955471_168402037_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27955471_168402037_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27955471_168402037_lowres-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27955471_168402037_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27955471_168402037_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-175870\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jan 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) vies for a rebound against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23), center Quinten Post (21) and guard Moses Moody (4) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span>A potential blockbuster deal for Milwaukee&#8217;s two-time MVP, Antetokounmpo, would undoubtedly make a major impact in the Bay. A superstar of his caliber, size and interior scoring ability could immediately address many of the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/12\/31\/warriors-rebounding-problem-exposed-ahead-of-crucial-stretch\/\" target=\"_self\">Warriors&#8217; biggest issues<\/a>. There&#8217;s no question the &#8220;Greek Freak&#8221; has the talent to transform the team. But including Green in the discussion, \u00a0the glue of the franchise, underscores just how extreme this is.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Green entered the league in 2012, and after many successful seasons alongside Steve Kerr and<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/curryst01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Stephen Curry<\/a>, the expectation was that the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/01\/09\/steve-kerr-ejection-warriors-future\/\" target=\"_self\">trio would stay together<\/a> until the end of their careers. But now the Dub&#8217;s championship window is narrowing. Results have taken priority over any long-standing relationships.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/anthonyVslater\/status\/2018861156983845312\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Antony Slater<\/a>, Kerr said: &#8220;<span>This is probably the first time since I&#8217;ve been here that his name has ever really been mentioned in trade talks. So it&#8217;s different. But it&#8217;s also part of the league.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<div><span><span>Parting with Green would not only alter the team&#8217;s identity but also shift its leadership dynamic. It&#8217;s a calculated risk for the Warriors, but few teams would pass up the chance to add a ten-time NBA All-Star to their roster. With the trade deadline on Thursday, teams have not finalized a deal yet , <\/span><\/span>so whether it&#8217;s Green or <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/butleji01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jimmy Butler<\/a> traded, the Dubs are ready to make bold moves.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><span>The question remains: Is it worth sacrificing a decade of chemistry and playmaking for a once-in-a-lifetime talent?<\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><span>\u00a9 Robert Edwards-Imagn Images<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Draymond Green is linked to a possible Giannis Antetokounmpo trade as the Warriors face a high-risk decision with the NBA trade deadline approaching. Green has spent his entire 14-year NBA career with the Golden State Warriors, but now it seems to be nearing its end. The Warriors&#8217; power forward has surfaced in high-level trade discussions [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5650,"featured_media":175868,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,25,15,62,4721],"tags":[409,306,4297,4176],"class_list":["post-175827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-warriors","category-bucks","category-nba","category-trade-rumors","tag-draymond-green","tag-giannis-antetokounmpo","tag-jonathan-kuminga","tag-moses-moody"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5650"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175827"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175827\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":175871,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175827\/revisions\/175871"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/175868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}