Warriors-Cavs is one of the most heated NBA rivalries in recent memory, with Golden State currently holding the upper hand after winning its second title in three years under an assemblage of talent poised to dominate the league for the foreseeable future.
The Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas trade, however, threatened to throw a wrench into the system this summer, especially given the nebulous nature of IT’s ongoing hip troubles. The trade has been scrutinized and discussed by most everyone in the league, and as more players become available to the media with the offseason nearing its end, the Irving trade often comes up.
When reporters asked Draymond Green, one of the central figures of that rivalry, what he thought about Kyrie’s trade request, the always outspoken forward offered up a thoughtful response that was particularly attuned to Irving’s perspective on the situation and his eagerness to get out from under LeBron’s shadow that echoed his teammate Kevin Durant’s thoughts on the matter.
Draymond Green with plenty of thoughts on the Kyrie Irving trade pic.twitter.com/mHEcPQ75DM
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) September 12, 2017
“He put so much pressure on himself by doing that,” Green said. “But the willingness to do that, and saying I’m ready to do it, let’s do it, that’s what stood out to me more than anything.”
Green went on to credit LeBron and his move to Miami in 2010 to form the Big 3 with making it okay for current players to take control over their own destiny. Green has certainly been a beneficiary of that newfound autonomy, given Kevin Durant’s choice to join the Warriors last summer and the subsequent title run that will go down as one of the greatest in league history.
Irving’s move also ostensibly makes things easier on the Warriors. Thomas is a similar player to Irving, but he might also miss a good portion of the season as he continues to recover, which would make for an even more protracted adjustment period as he tries to figure out how to jell with his new team.
Either way, Draymond Green isn’t sweating any of this, so his comments essentially amount to a plain old “good for him.”
