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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 18: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors reacts during the final moments of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on December 18, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Warriors 99-98. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors are confronting one of the most consequential decisions of the Stephen Curry era as their longtime dream trade target, Giannis Antetokounmpo, appears increasingly likely to become available.
At the center of that decision is Draymond Green.
According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Golden State’s front office has widened the scope of what it would consider in a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade discussion — a shift that places even franchise pillars into play.
Butler, 36, is owed nearly $57 million next season, making his deal the clearest salary-matching mechanism in any Antetokounmpo transaction.
“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 reported Thursday.
Draymond Green’s Status Shifts With Giannis Availability
Giannis to Warriors, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Warriors trade
GettyDraymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks slap hands after the Warriors defeated the Bucks 104-93 at Chase Center on March 18, 2025 in San Francisco, California.
Green, a four-time NBA champion and former Defensive Player of the Year, has long been viewed as untouchable within the Warriors’ organization. That stance appears to soften only under the rare circumstances created by Antetokounmpo’s potential availability.
NBA insider Jake Fischer alluded to that inflection point last month.
“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 in December. “His availability has the power to change the calculus of damn near every front office around the league.”
For Golden State, the calculus centers on whether extending Curry’s championship window justifies sacrificing one of the dynasty’s foundational figures.
Warriors’ Draft Capital Strengthens Their Hand
Golden State’s willingness to explore such drastic scenarios is supported by years of disciplined asset management.
“The Warriors can offer up to four first-rounders: 2026, 2028, 2032 unprotected and 2030 if it falls within the 1-20 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.”
Those selections — particularly those beyond the Curry era — are viewed around the league as premium assets.
Green Previously Warned Against All-In Moves
Green himself has historically cautioned against surrendering the future for players who do not fundamentally alter a franchise’s trajectory.
Last year, he voiced skepticism about a potential pursuit of Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen.
“I’m a big fan of Markkanen’s game,” Green told Slater back in October. “But … you usually don’t win those things against Danny Ainge. I look at history.”
Antetokounmpo, however, occupies a different tier.
A Finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and perennial MVP candidate, Giannis represents the type of transformational superstar that can justify irreversible decisions.
Bucks More Open, But Remain Patient
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday that Milwaukee has grown more receptive to Antetokounmpo trade discussions, though the Bucks are not operating under urgency.
“Multiple teams have received a sense that the Bucks are more open than ever to Antetokounmpo offers between now and the deadline,” Charania wrote. “However, Milwaukee has indicated to interested teams that the organization is not in a rush to complete a move and is willing to navigate Antetokounmpo’s future in the offseason if its believed price point of a blue-chip young talent and/or a surplus of draft picks isn’t met.”
Antetokounmpo, 31, is eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million supermax extension on Oct. 1. Without an extension, he could become an unrestricted free agent in 2027 by declining a $62.8 million player option.
Warriors Face Defining Choice
With Milwaukee listening and Golden State already engaged, the Warriors are now weighing how much of their past they are willing to sacrifice to protect their future.
If the Bucks demand youth, depth and long-term flexibility — and if Golden State insists on preserving its young core — Draymond Green’s name will remain central to the conversation.
For a franchise built on continuity and loyalty, the pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo now presents a stark reality: extending the Curry era may require parting with one of the pillars that built it.