In the final days before the trade deadline, Jimmy Butler emerged as the Golden State Warriors‘ most significant acquisition. The veteran small forward was traded from the Miami Heat to fulfill the Warriors’ desire to add a top-tier star, helping strengthen the roster heading into the most challenging stretch of the 2024-25 NBA season. However, Golden State had a clear priority: securing the return of Kevin Durant. According to rumors, KD rejected the offer due to his strained relationship with Draymond Green.
Asked about these rumors, Green delivered a blunt response. “Didn’t affect my life one bit,” he told Sportskeeda following the Warriors‘ 120-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers last Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Expanding on his comment, Draymond explained why he didn’t give any weight to the rumors. “Why would it?” asked the 34-year-old forward. “I don’t concern myself with guys who aren’t here,” he added, clearly referring to Durant.
The bluntness of Green’s remarks suggests that his relationship with KD remains less than amicable. The two were teammates in Golden State during Durant’s three-season stint with the Warriors, and together they won two NBA championships in 2017 and 2018.
Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after a foul call against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Chase Center.
What happened between Green and Durant?
The peak of the tension between Draymond Green and Kevin Durant occurred during their final season together in San Francisco. In November 2018, the Golden State Warriors faced the Los Angeles Clippers, and the two stars engaged in a heated on-court argument.
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Apparently, the conflict didn’t end there. The disagreement reportedly continued in the locker room with such intensity that Green was handed a one-game suspension without pay by the Warriors.
The relationship between Green and Durant
Later, in an appearance on Carmelo Anthony‘s What’s In Your Glass? podcast, Green opened up about the prolonged tension between him and Durant. “I think there was a time period where he wasn’t trying to say anything to me,” Draymond shared.
“I think there was a time period where my number might have been blocked from his phone,” Green speculated, suggesting that Durant took steps to distance himself after their falling out. “There was a time period where I could only talk to him through Instagram DMs,” he added.
The Warriors tried to tempt Durant back
Despite the reported tension between Green and Durant, the Golden State Warriors made a concerted effort to bring the two-time NBA Finals MVP back before the trade deadline. According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Warriors even offered Jimmy Butler as part of the trade package in exchange for Durant.
Butler had barely joined the Warriors from the Miami Heat when the team reportedly included him, along with Jonathan Kuminga and several draft picks, in an offer to the Phoenix Suns. However, Durant’s apparent disinterest in returning to San Francisco led to the collapse of the negotiations.
