Ex-NBA Star Says Draymond Green Cost Warriors 3 More Rings After Infamous Beef Ended With a Loss

Could the Warriors have won more than 7 championships? The period from 2016 to 2019 was a golden era for the Warriors. After winning championships in 2017 and 2018, the team fell short in their third attempt. However, many believe that a critical mistake by the Warriors, specifically Draymond Green, cost them the chance at a three-peat. What does a former Warriors star think about this?

Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas explained that the Warriors might have won at least three more championships if they had kept Kevin Durant and traded Draymond Green instead.

As Kenyon Martin tossed the question on the Gills’ Arena Podcast, Agent Zero responded, “You know, you move Draymond Green out and you keep KD and it’s been KD Klay and Steph this whole time. You know who more they have two more, maybe even three depending on you know what other pieces they put around, so, so yes, yeah.”

“Because you can’t count on them. So yeah, it would have been it would have been smarter because you can’t replace like, I know you can’t replace what Draymond brings to that team, but you can’t replace someone like Kevin to be a good teammate and be a franchise guy,” Arenas said.

Durant’s stint with the Warriors was notable for numerous reasons. The Warriors morphed into an even more superior team than they already were, easily defeating the Cavs in the NBA Finals. According to Isiah Thomas and Gilbert Arenas, most people are unaware of the significant impact ‘KD’ has had.

Earlier also, Arenas referred to Durant’s tenure with the Warriors as a “sacrifice” and stated that it helped to entirely reshape the legacy of notable Warriors players. He believes that if Durant had not been participating, the Warriors would not have defeated LeBron James’ Cavaliers back then: “they wouldn’t have beat Cavs if KD didn’t come.”

Even though the Golden State Warriors won a title in 2021 without Kevin Durant, Arenas believes they could have won more. Durant, who won back-to-back Finals MVP titles during the championship years, often argued with Green. Arenas hinted at these conflicts, which were highlighted during a game against the Clippers in 2018.

In that game, Durant, a four-time NBA All-Star, missed a shot that led to overtime, sparking an argument with Green. In 2019, Durant left the Warriors to join the Brooklyn Nets.

Kevin Durant wanted new opportunities in the Brooklyn Nets

KD explained that he was looking for a change after his time with the Warriors. He mentioned discussing this decision with his friends Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan, which led to the three of them joining the Brooklyn Nets. However, Durant had to sit out the entire season due to an Achilles injury.

After Draymond Green’s suspension, Kevin Durant publicly expressed concern, stating that he hoped Green would get the help he needed. However, this comment did not sit well with Green. “You hit me like, I’m here for you, you need anything I’m here for you bro. If that’s how you feel, hit me…So I thought that was wild. It rubbed me the wrong way,” Green said on 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast.

Despite the altercation, Green expressed that he has nothing but love for his former teammate. Green further added, “But I got none but love for KD always.” The Warriors have struggled to find their rhythm since their 2021 win, and Green’s antics have often been a challenge for the team. What are your thoughts on Arenas’ opinion?