The Golden State Warriors are going to be one of the prime candidates to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo should he become available in the coming weeks and months. But if trading for Giannis does become a real option, are the Warriors prepared to potentially part ways with Draymond Green?
That's the era-defining question this team may be faced with. There's a good likelihood Golden State would be forced to sacrifice one of their core players to Milwaukee in order to get a trade done, and that player was Draymond Green in a recent mock trade from ESPN's insiders.
Of course, if you're talking about this question from a raw talent standpoint, the answer would be a swift and decisive yes. Antetokounmpo is a clear-cut top three player in the world today, and Green can't come close to his level of talent. But this is about more than just numbers on a page or box score statistics.
Draymond has been one of the defining players of an entire era of basketball in the Bay Area. When he was drafted way back in 2012, the Warriors were just another fun, young team in the Western Conference. Fast forward almost 14 years, and they're four-time champions that have left a major mark on the league's history books.
Should the Warriors be willing to sacrifice Draymond Green in a trade?
Stephen Curry has always been the central driving force of Golden State's dynasty, but Green's impact is unmistakable as well. He was unquestionably at the center of this team's philosophy for all four titles, and his defensive IQ allowed Golden State to play a style of basketball few teams could match, unlocking lineups and schemes that simply wouldn't have worked without him.
He's still very important to the way the Warriors operate today, but it's safe to say this team would be more than okay if they effectively replaced him with Giannis. The question here is less about the on-court fit, and more about whether it would be the right move to end things with a pillar of the organization like this.
You always want to do right by your most important players, and especially those who have done so much for you over the course of a decade and a half. Letting go of a franchise legend in an unceremonious way could send the wrong message to other players considering playing for the Warriors in the future.
This will be an important question for Golden State to consider over the next several weeks as they survey their options. Getting a player like Antetokounmpo would certainly be a dream come true, but perhaps not at the cost of alienating one of the most important players to ever wear your uniform.