It looks like the Golden State Warriors have been making calls in the trade market this offseason. That was confirmed by Draymond Green.
In the Jeff Teague podcast, he stated:
“We was just about to make some trades last week,” “And I told them straight up, ‘That trade will help me.’ It’ll help me in my career these last couple of years with [Stephen Curry]. But I’ve always spoken from a place of, ‘What’s best for this organization?’ I won’t stop now.”
Green did not say who player the Warriors were negotiating to trade for, although they have been frequently cited in the offseason rumors as a possible team interested in Utah’s Lauri Markkanen.
“There is a belief in certain corners of the league that Utah’s interest in Golden State’s Brandon Podziemski, is serious enough that it keeps alive the prospect of a Markkanen trade between now and Aug. 6,” NBA reporter Marc Stein stated earlier this week.
Could Draymond Green make a move ?
Draymond Green continued, saying that there is “also a growing belief leaguewide that the Warriors would be more willing to move Jonathan Kuminga in a Markkanen trade—or any big-swing deal—than Podziemski” and that the foundation of Golden State’s offers up to this point has been Moses Moody and draft compensation, not Kuminga or Podziemski.
The Warriors would benefit greatly from the arrival of Markkanen, 27, as he would provide them with a stretch-4 player to help offset some of the perimeter shooting that was lost when Klay Thompson left last summer to join the Dallas Mavericks and a legitimate No. 2 scoring option behind Curry.
Following Thompson’s decision to move on and seek a new opportunity, the Warriors had a transitional summer during which they added reliable depth players in De’Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield, and Kyle Anderson.
