The Golden State Warriors have benefitted in the draft as the players they’ve selected have helped them win titles. One of the players the Warriors developed is Draymond Green, who was drafted 35th overall in 2012. Green’s selection has played an important role in the team’s journey to winning four titles.
However, the Warriors have struggled to contend in the past few years. Their core of Green and Stephen Curry are in the twilight years of their careers and Klay Thompson opted to join the Dallas Mavericks last summer, ending his stint with the organization.
While other organizations would try and make huge trades to help their stars and the team contend, Golden State has opted not to. They’ve kept their aging stars and are protecting their future picks. the team has stayed loyal in keeping their future picks rather than going all-in to give Green and Curry a star player to help them contend.
After the Warriors’ 107-104 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, the four-time champion threw shade at teams that gamble by trading away their future.
“The beautiful part about being in the space that we’re in is, Steve Kerr, Steph Curry and myself all disagree with mortgaging off the future of this organization, saying that we’re going for it right now. Bad teams do that. Bad organizations do that. We’re not neither one,” Green said.
“So for us, if something is going to happen, it needs to be the right thing,” he continued. “We’re not going to jump and make the wrong decision because we panicked. That’s how you set your organization back five to seven years.”
Draymond Green says only bad teams mortgage their future for win-now moves
“The beautiful part about being in the space that we're in is, Steve Kerr, Steph Curry and myself all disagree with mortgaging off the future of this organization, saying that we're going for it right… pic.twitter.com/C4fXK6cIcs
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 13, 2025
The Warriors have a 19-19 record this season and have made moves to help their veteran stars. They’ve traded for Dennis Schroder in exchange for De’Anthony Melton.
Therapy has helped Draymond Green not think about retirement
During the 2023-24 NBA season, Draymond Green dealt with numerous suspensions due to his on-court actions. While away from the squad and the game, he thought about giving up basketball. However, he’s reconsidered his retirement, thanks to the therapy sessions he had while he was away.
“These meetings became so therapeutic for me. It’s helping me, and I f***ing love it. My plan is to do these meetings for the rest of my career because they’re incredible. Starting therapy was f***ing hard. Because I’m from Saginaw, Michigan.”
“I’m from an all-Black neighborhood that you don’t go to therapy or you’re f***ing weak. So you’re retraining a brain that’s been thinking a certain way for 30 years. The last thing you do growing up on the north side of Saginaw is weak.”
Draymond Green says he wasn’t mentally in the building the night he struck Nurkic.“The bulls— had taken over the love; the drive was gone.”
But therapy and NBA check-in calls during suspension helped him become “a nicer Draymond” and not cross the line. https://t.co/EfhadfZ6B2— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) January 13, 2025
Green continues to give life to the Warriors following the departure of Thompson.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
