"Could have been trash" - Green's disrespectful take on former Warriors trade target

Draymond Green continues to back the Golden State Warriors at every turn, even when it doesn't necessarily make all that much sense.

It's an admirable quality for the veteran forward who continues to praise General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. for the way he's built this current Warrior roster. While there are a number of reasons for such praise, sometimes Green takes it a little too far.

Draymond Green's comments on the Warriors pursuit of Lauri Markkanen were bewildering

The 34-year-old was again asked about his team's offseason in a recent interview with Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Within it Green claimed that adding Lauri Markkanen "could have been trash" after heavy speculation of a potential trade for the Utah Jazz forward in July and early August.

"That could have been trash, by the way. Markkanen coming here, we don't know," Green said. "We have never seen it. So there was no thought of what could have been because we don't know what that look like."

The Warriors hadn't seen De'Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield in their system either, yet felt comfortable in adding them during the offseason. Of course, that trio simply required offering contracts rather than giving up assets, but the point remains that every potential addition is just a projection of what they could be.

We can argue forever on what and/or who Golden State should have been willing to give up for Markkanen, and frankly the result of that won't be known for quite some years. But to suggest that adding Markkanen "could have been trash" is bewildering and quite honestly disrespectful to who he is as a player.

Markkanen has averaged at least 23.2 points in each of the past two seasons, having shot over 39% from three-point range while also adding over rebounds per game. He was also previously making just $18 million this season before renegotiating his contract, meaning the Warriors wouldn't have totally lost their depth.

Combine Markkanen's individual quality, contract and specific fit with Golden State as a seven-foot sharpshooter, and it's almost impossible to see how it could have been trash unless it was injury-related. At a stretch you could say that the cost of young players and future picks may have made the Warriors trash in a few years post Green and Stephen Curry, but even then Markkanen is only 27 and should have plenty of years left in his prime.

While the Warriors have reached a 3-1 record so far regardless, it's hard to see how they wouldn't be better in the short-term with Markkanen let alone this idea of 'trash' that Green speaks about.