The Golden State Warriors are making one last big run at a championship with their current core. If they get it, they might have Draymond Green to thank.
Green made a very blunt demand of the Warriors’ front office prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline, according to Marcus Thompson II and Sam Amick of The Athletic. The veteran forward had made a “standing request” to acquire another “a-hole” to aid the team’s title ambitions.
Green felt that the Warriors lacked another intense two-way player that could serve as a team leader. The role had often been filled by Andre Iguodala for many of the team’s title runs, but he retired after the 2022-23 season.
The Warriors wound up heeding the call by trading for Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, who certainly qualifies as a gritty two-way option. So far, Golden State is 5-1 since acquiring Butler, and suddenly looks like a Western Conference contender again.
After the trade went down, many predicted that Butler and Green would clash. Instead, it sounds like Green was one of the loudest voices within the organization calling for the team to acquire someone like Butler. As long as the two remain on the same page when it comes to chasing a title, they should be fine.
Butler is averaging 20 points per game in six games since joining Golden State. He does not even have a house yet, but has made a tangible difference to the team, just as Green predicted he would.
