Draymond Green returned to the court in positive fashion at Chase Center on Monday, helping the Golden State Warriors to a 104-99 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic.
After missing seven games with a calf injury, Green was back and doing what he does best -- making big defensive stops down the stretch as the primary defender on Magic star Paolo Banchero. The former number one overall pick shot just 9-of-24 (0-of-6 from 3-point range) for the game, while finishing as a -24 in over 37 minutes.
Just to add to this defensive exploits, Green finished a tough running hook in the final two minutes after the Magic had briefly re-taken the lead following a 15-point deficit at the start of the fourth-quarter.
Could the Warriors really trade Draymond Green?
Despite his positive return to the floor, even Green -- a franchise legend -- may not be completely safe from trade negotiations over the next 48 hours. Speaking during NBA Today on Tuesday, ESPN's Brian Windhorst suggested that Golden State's desperate pursuit of another star has left only Stephen Curry as untouchable on their roster.
"Everything's on the table. Other than Stephen Curry, everything's on the table," Windhorst said.
That presumably extends to Green being at least part of discussions if necessary. While fans have often speculated whether or not the franchise would be willing to move on from the 4x NBA champion, there's rarely been any strong indication that it would be a possibility.
If “everything’s on the table” other than Steph Curry as @WindhorstESPN reports here, then “everything “ means Draymond Green is also on the table.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) February 4, 2025
And if Draymond is movable, his $24M salary opens A LOT of creative options for the Warriors.
Buckle up! pic.twitter.com/bt4D4B1IUI
In fact, the one scenario where Green could have departed the Warriors was in his free agency of 2023. He has spoken at length about how he was close to joining the Memphis Grizzlies, but leaving off his own accord as opposed to being traded are very different circumstances.
It still remains highly unlikely that Green is actually shipped out of the Bay before Thursday's deadline, with starting small forward Andrew Wiggins much more likely to be the big salary piece moved if Golden State acquire Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler or another big name.
Wiggins shook off heightening trade speculation to finish with a team-high 25 points in Monday's win over the Magic, with the 2022 All-Star having now recorded at least 17 points in 10 of the past 11 games.
Still, the Warriors appear ready to move on from Wiggins for a more legitimate second star, and by Windhorst's comments it appears Green may not necessarily be a barrier to making that happen either.