The Golden State Warriors, as they enter the new season, have their sights set on one singular mission: win a championship before the inevitable end of Stephen Curry's career.
Yet, although the team is searching for another star and the temptation potentially exists to move on from aging forward Draymond Green in the process, Buddy Hield, on the latest episode of The Dubs Talk podcast, has reminded all of us just how important of a leader Green is to this team.
The team has already made their blockbuster move for Jimmy Butler, and, although Green does present some obstacles in his lack of a perimeter shot and his need for rest throughout the season, Golden State must come to accept that his role goes far beyond just his numbers on the stat sheet.
Buddy Hield has reminded us just how important Draymond Green is to the Warriors' identity
Last season, following the acquisition of Butler, Green's place in the rotation somewhat surprisingly became a point of debate as dynamic young forward Jonathan Kuminga returned from injury. Despite the scoring potential that Kuminga provides, he did not fit well alongside Butler and Green primarily as a result of the utter lack of shooting that that lineup provides.
Therefore, for supporters of Kuminga and his ceiling as a player, it could make sense for the Warriors to attempt to use Green's $25 million salary to help construct a trade for another star that could better maximize Curry and Butler's final seasons.
On paper, this might make sense. Green, over his past three seasons, has averaged just 8.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists while missing 50 games due to rest or injury. Therefore, in the hypothetical scenario that Golden State had the opportunity to trade for someone like Lauri Markkanen (or even Giannis Antetokounmpo), many fans might advocate for Green's contract to be included in such a deal.
Yet, as Hield points out, Green's role is also to provide a championship example to some of the younger or less experienced players: "He’s a compassionate leader. He’s the heartbeat of this team. He always wants to win, so whatever he says, it’s not coming from a bad place; he’s just been in the fire a long time, and he knows what it takes to win."
While Green can certainly be frustrating at times, especially when he gets himself into foul trouble or peril with the refs, the Warriors must hold on to their veteran trio of Curry, Butler and Green in order to maintain the culture they have spent over a decade building in The Bay.
While this reality may limit the number of moves they could make to bolster this roster, they must hold out hope that these players, with their playoff experience and unique skill-sets, can take the team on one more championship run over the next two seasons.