The February 2nd, 2025 trade that sent Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers sent shockwaves across the basketball world—but few experienced the emotional rollercoaster quite like Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green.
The outspoken veteran forward shared the surreal story of his reaction during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. His account was as much about misinformation as it was about disbelief.
“I couldn’t believe it. Superstars at 25 don’t get traded,” Green told Kimmel. “Luka is a megastar. Just came off the NBA Finals. That doesn’t happen. I thought Shams [Charania] got hacked.”
That night, Draymond was attending a Warriors charity poker tournament when team owner Joe Lacob approached him with a jaw-dropper: the Warriors were supposedly on the verge of reacquiring Kevin Durant.
Joe gets excited, he goes, ‘Draymond, we’re getting KD. It’s happening,’” Green recalled. “I’m like, let’s go! Then two minutes later he runs back and says, ‘I wasn’t supposed to say anything. Don’t tell anyone.’”
Still riding high from the potential Durant homecoming, Green sat down at the poker table. Moments later, Steph Curry blurted out, “Draymond, did you see the trade?”
Assuming Lacob’s deal had gone through, Green responded, “It happened?” But when Steph replied, “Luka got traded,” a confused Draymond backpedaled—“Oh never mind, nobody.”
That confusion quickly turned to shock
Green echoed what most fans and players felt that night: total disbelief. Luka Doncic, a 25-year-old MVP candidate who had just led Dallas to the NBA Finals, was heading to Los Angeles to team up with LeBron James.
“You just don’t see that in the NBA,” said Draymond. “Then I started thinking, if Luka’s getting traded, I’ve gotta be next
Videos from the charity event later surfaced showing Green, Curry, and Kyle Anderson reacting in real time—yelling, pacing, and laughing in shock.
While the Durant reunion fell apart—Durant reportedly declined a Bay Area return due to past scrutiny—the Warriors didn’t walk away from the trade deadline empty-handed. Instead, they pivoted and landed Jimmy Butler in a high-risk, high-reward move that’s largely paid off since.
