Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors were unable to overcome Stephen Curry's hamstring injury in the second round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves. After taking Game 1 of the series, they lost four straight and were sent home.
Entering the offseason, the Warriors will be looking to make some moves. One obvious need is finding a legitimate center so that Green doesn't have to play the position.
While he's always willing to play wherever he's needed, playing center took a lot out of Green.
That was noted by head coach Steve Kerr following the season.
"I don't want to start next season with Draymond as our starting center," Kerr said. "I think it's doable for the last 30 games like we did this year, but you see the toll it takes on him."
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Now, Green has shared his reaction to the news. He's not sad to hear that he won't be the every game center.
"God bless his heart," Green said. "It was real. Playing the five, it's too much. And I'm always down to do it, as you know, bro, like any challenge you're talking about, but it's a hard battle every night. Guys who outweigh me by 60 to 80 pounds, four inches, five inches, six, seven inches taller than me. Like I come out in the first half because I still got my legs. Then I come on the second half where you've been battling. I don't think people understand the toll of anchoring the defense requires. Like that means every possession, I have to put myself in a position to stop a fire."
Green just completed his 13th season with Golden State. He has played in 881 career games with 726 of them being starts.
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During the 2024-25 campaign, the 35-year-old forward averaged nine points per game to go along with 6.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and a block. He shot 42.4 percent from the floor and made 32.5 percent of his three-point attempts.
Even though he's not getting any younger, Green has remained a key part of the team. His defense and leadership have remained impressive.
It will be interesting to see what the offseason has in store for the Warriors. With Kerr pushing the envelope, it seems likely that the front office will pursue a center.
For more Golden State Warriors and general NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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This story was originally published May 27, 2025 at 3:01 PM.