The form of veteran star Draymond Green continues to be a growing problem for the Golden State Warriors, particularly as they've fallen to three-straight losses and now two games below .500 on the season.
The Warriors have kept faith with Green despite countless controversies over the past decade, but now it's his on-court production that raises the question of whether it's now time to move on from the franchise legend.
Warriors solution to Draymond Green problem may be to trade him
After returning from a three-game absence -- in which the Warriors won two on the road in Cleveland and Chicago -- Green has committed a remarkable 13 turnovers in a pair of losses suffered by a total of six points.
Head coach Steve Kerr lamented Green's turnovers and stated that the veteran forward is "trying too hard right now" after Thursday's loss, but the fact is that Golden State's offense is always compromised to some degree when he's on the floor.
Kerr on Draymond Green’s offense after a five-turnover showing: “He’s trying too hard right now. He’s such a competitor. He’s trying too hard to make plays and he needs to slow down.”
— Sam Gordon (@BySamGordon) December 19, 2025
After a hot start to the season, Green is back to being a 33% 3-point shooter who's always left wide open by opposing defenses. It doesn't feel right now like his defense is making up for the offensive issues, which in turn is leading to Golden State's losing woes after a 4-1 start.
We know Kerr and Stephen Curry are always going to trust in Green, meaning he'll always be a key piece of the rotation and a primary facilitator offensively. Perhaps that's part of the issue though -- that Green needs to be taken away from Kerr and Curry so they can understand whether the alternative is actually more effective.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer recently, the Warriors would only be willing to move on from Green if it lands them superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in return. That goes to show just how wedded Golden State are to the 14-year veteran, which is the exact kind of mindset they should be looking to adjust before the mid-season deadline.
This isn't to say the Warriors should just be dumping Green at any possible opportunity, but the list of players they're willing to trade him for should be far longer than solely Antetokounmpo. If they don't at least consider it and explore moves, the front office and franchise could be left with even more regret over their inability to maximize Curry's the final years of Curry somewhere near his prime.