The Golden State Warriors are staring down one of the most defining moments of the Stephen Curry era, and for the first time in years, Draymond Green may no longer be untouchable.
As Giannis Antetokounmpo’s availability begins to feel real, Golden State’s front office has widened the scope of what it would consider in potential trade talks, even if that means discussing pillars of its championship dynasty.
The Warriors are now operating with a broader mindset when it comes to a possible Giannis deal, one that places previously protected names into the conversation, ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported.
“They are not actively shopping his contract, team sources said, but everything is on the table in an Antetokounmpo conversation — and Butler is the clear salary match, though a deal involving Draymond Green and several other rotation players is also plausible,” Slater wrote Thursday.
For years, Green has been viewed internally as a franchise constant, a four-time champion whose impact extends far beyond the box score.
But Giannis represents a rare exception, the kind of superstar whose availability forces organizations to reconsider long-standing boundaries.
That reality was foreshadowed last month by NBA insider Jake Fischer, who explained how Antetokounmpo’s name alone has the power to shift front-office logic across the league.
“The Warriors have likewise been reluctant to consider win-now, all-in moves that would require them to trade away Draymond Green, but Antetokounmpo, in all likelihood, would change that equation,” Fischer wrote in The Stein Line. “His availability has the power to change the calculus of damn near every front office around the league.”
Golden State’s willingness to explore such drastic possibilities is backed by years of careful asset management. Slater noted that the Warriors could offer a massive draft package if needed.
“The Warriors can offer up to four first-rounders: 2026, 2028, 2032 unprotected and 2030 if it falls within the one to 20 range (top-20 protected owed to Washington as part of the Jordan Poole-for-Chris Paul trade),” Slater wrote. “Because of Milwaukee’s outgoing picks, it could only command one additional pick swap.”
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