If the Golden State Warriors had traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo before the NBA Trade Deadline, Draymond Green almost certainly would have landed with the Milwaukee Bucks for salary purposes. Green is certainly glad they didn't. As reported by ESPN's Anthony Slater, Green would have been fine getting traded for Giannis, but landing in Milwaukee wouldn't have been ideal.
"I understand this business probably [as] good as any player," Green said. "I understand like, yo, this is Giannis Antetokounmpo. They not just about to trade me for a bag of peanuts. It would've almost been a point of pride.
I'll be honest though. I didn't want to play for Milwaukee."
The feeling is mutual, Draymond.
Bucks wouldn't need Draymond Green in a post-Giannis world
Green is a stellar player who will certainly make the Hall of Fame someday. He deserves it. However, he will make it for what he's done in the past, not the future. Having just turned 36 and with a decline in production, Green wouldn't fit in well with Milwaukee's rebuild/retool in life after Giannis. Attitude alone could have made him a headache. The Bucks had no reason to be interested.
From the jump, the Milwaukee Bucks have made it clear that they want a young blue-chip prospect as the centerpiece of a Giannis trade. Not only is Green not that, but the Warriors in general do not have a single player who fits that profile. It's among the reasons why they always felt like an unlikely partner for Giannis, despite their assortment of draft picks.
Had the Warriors miracously convinced the Bucks to trade Giannis in a deal that involved Green, it is obvious how things would have gone. Green would have played out the rest of the year on his $25.9 million deal and opted out of his player option to secure a long-term deal elsewhere. That's not the type of player you want as the centerpiece of a trade for a franchise superstar.
To be fair, no one could fault Green for not wanting to come to Milwaukee this season. He's been in a winning environment for almost his entire career. Landing with the Bucks would have been quite the change, as the team has been stuck in the mud for most of the season and will not make the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
Bucks must set their sights higher if Giannis is available
If the Milwaukee Bucks field trade offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer, which only feels more likely as their disconnect grows, they will continue to ask for a blue-chip prospect. Green still won't be that, and the Warriors won't be getting one out of thin air—unless their first-round pick in this upcoming draft miraculously falls into an incredibly favorable position, which is a long shot.
Milwaukee needs to find a headliner who could be the franchise's next long-term star. Think of when the OKC Thunder got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in their trade for Paul George. Veterans in the final few years of their career should not be headlining anything. Green can rest easy knowing that he won't be landing in Milwaukee anytime soon in that case.
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