In a candid interview with former NBA star Baron Davis, Draymond Green walks through the recent Warriors‑Heat trade that sent Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schröder, Kyle Kuzma and Lindy Waters to Miami in exchange for Jimmy Butler. Green describes the roller‑coaster of hearing the news from Steve Kerr, the excitement of adding a proven winner like Butler, and the immediate tactical considerations for integrating Butler’s defensive mindset. He then shifts to a heartfelt tribute to Wiggins, recounting six years of on‑court chemistry, off‑court brotherhood, personal hardships (family illness, father’s health, fatherhood), and the pain of seeing him leave. Green predicts Wiggins could become an All‑Star again and praises how he will fit in Miami’s roster alongside Bam Adebayo, Victor Wembanyama and others. The conversation moves to the first interaction between Green and Butler, highlighting their shared Olympic gold experience, mutual friends, and a respectful, low‑key greeting. Green explains how both players are dissecting each other’s defensive strengths and weaknesses to create complementary coverages, emphasizing real‑time communication, masking teammates’ weaknesses, and the “on‑the‑string” defensive philosophy. Finally, both Green and Davis express optimism that the trade benefits both franchises, projecting stronger playoff contenders for the Warriors and a newly‑powered Heat.
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Can you take us through, one, the news, and then the emotional rollercoaster? You know, what did Steve Kerr say in the meeting when he broke the news? And then I do wanna talk about Andrew Wiggins. Shout out to Wig and the impact, you know, he had on you as a teammate, both on and off the court. 'Cause I know you both were extremely close.
Absolutely. Man, getting the news, like, man, like, we got Jimmy Butler. This is no small feat. Like, this is no small deal. Like, it's Jimmy Butler. Like, you know, people get caught up in all the stuff that was going on in Miami. You know, as I had said last podcast, remember I had said like, I just don't want Jimmy to end up in the spot where they use that against him. You know what I'm saying?
Yeah.
Or saying like, yo, he's the problem.
Yeah.
The reason I said that is because it's a guy that I respect as a winner. I've been victim of people trying to take a winner and tear 'em down through all these false narratives. And so I've been a victim of that. And that's why I said what I said. And as you see coming out of it, you're seeing who exactly, who the Jimmy Butler should I know, you know, like that I knew. And so finding out that information, you like, man, a part of you is obviously excited, you know, like. Yeah. Man, we got a chance now.
Yeah.
It's switched like the flip, switch flips fast. We got a chance now. And then you settle into reality like, man, all right, so who gone? Wiggs, Dennis, Kyle, and Lindy. He like, dang. Because regardless of how this year has gone, have been going, Like the vibe of that team was still great.
Yeah.
You know what I'm saying? Like you enjoy being around them every day. You start building with them. And Wiggs obviously has been 6 years, you know, where we've been playing together and watching his growth, you know, from coming to a place and everybody saying like, yo, this dude's a bust. He never gonna be it. To earning the name Two Way Wiggs. And helping lead us to a championship. Another NBA Finals, collecting his first NBA Finals. Like NBA ring, like that's, you know, to go through that with someone, like there's an obvious relationship. Now I rock with Wiggins on a different level. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, in Toronto every summer, kicking with him, you know, like been through some real stuff with Wiggs, you know, living a couple years in, him dealing with his father being sick and being away from the team and keeping that low, you know what I'm saying? But [FOREIGN LANGUAGE], you know what I'm saying? Been through some real stuff.
Brother to brother type shit.
He's had 2 kids since I met him. You know, like he's become a brother. And to see him go, it sucked. It's like, man, I tried to make a joke just like, bro, you going to Miami, it ain't that bad of a place. You gotta save some money in taxes, like send me some bread. But just like, just not knowing what to say. You know what I'm saying?
It's always awkward. You know, it's always awkward.
You know, man. But in saying that, it's a great opportunity for him to continue to build. You know, he's a champion. I think he gonna go to Miami and have great years. Guess what? I like Miami now. Also, don't be surprised if Wiggins is an All-Star again next year.
I like Miami now. I like Miami, you know, I like what they added. I think, well, what they had, you know, obviously losing Jimmy, but the way that they were playing without Jimmy, you know, this big old tall kid, Ware, the discovery of him. You put Wiggins right in the mix with Hero, Bam, Right, he's gonna fit right in. And I think for Miami, watch out for Miami 'cause they just move themselves up. Both teams benefited. Both teams benefited and both teams are gonna go on to have better records and be real bona fide teams in the playoffs if you ask me.
I agree 1,000%.
There was a picture of you and Jimmy um, together before the Lakers game. What was the first conversation like?
Oh man, I had, you know, I had hit him up and he was— I went up to him like, what's up, bro, welcome. He was just saying like, thank you, bro. Like, thanks.
Wait, hold on, hold on, hold on. Before you really answer this, I have to preface this because I think the whole social media and world was waiting for this first interaction. So I wanna start back by saying the anticipation, you know, they had the memes of John Wick, where it was like, yeah, what's gonna happen? And the Warriors lose the game. Here go Draymond and here go Jimmy Butler. Everybody, hey bro, people were nervous. They was like, yo, what is Draymond Jimmy Butler relationship gonna be like. Okay, so now here's the question. What was that first conversation like in that photo?
Oh man, it was great. You know, I think people forget me and Jimmy won a gold medal together.
Right, right, right.
This ain't really our first rodeo.
Right, right.
You know, all y'all favorite players out there be like trying to win gold medals. We actually did that already. You know, so—
Yeah.
In saying that, there was already a familiarity among us. Jimmy and I also share a ton of mutual friends. I mean, a ton of mutual friends. And so just like, what's up, bro? Welcome. Like, he like, go out there and get it done. Like, and that was just it. Like, nothing too extreme. But like the respect is there. I think people, you know, people saying that, like they were asking me like, yo, when's the first time you and Jimmy like gonna have, get into it at practice? Like, I don't, the only chance we get into it at practice is if we're going back and forth on like talking shit.
Coverage.
Back and forth. But that's not a get into it in practice. Like that's a level of competition that of course we gonna, But the reality is, you know what I told them? They like, when that's coming? Next October in training camp. This the NBA, you don't practice like that. Like, you game 50 games in. That's October.
You get some work, some lifting, run through some plays, walkthrough. You know, you may get a run in.
Exactly. But probably not.
Not likely.
Not likely.
Young dudes, he gets some runs, some more. Stay red again. But it's more about that maintenance, right?
Yeah, no, I think, you know, listening to people, and that's funny, but when you wanna win the way that we wanna win, like that's all we all wanna do.
Right, that's it.
When that's the main goal, like nothing else matters.
Yeah, talk about the defensive IQ, the communication. Y'all already out there talking. What are y'all talking about?
We're talking through coverages because we're learning like, you know, like Jimmy's a great defender, right? Although you're a great defender, just like Steph Curry's a great shooter, you have a preference of a shot, right? Like you have a preference of a guy that, yeah, I'm a great defender, but I'm stronger in guarding these types of guys. Not that I can't guard everyone, I can. But I'm really strong in guarding these type of guys. Maybe a little weaker in doing this. Again, just like a great offensive player. And I'm trying to figure out, also trying to figure out Jimmy's weaknesses on defense. And I know he's trying to figure out my weaknesses so that then I can cover for his weakness and he can cover for my weakness. Like that is a great partnership. And we are both guys who cover for people. Yeah. So I think what we're both doing is trying to figure out where each other are weak.
Yeah.
That we can cover for each other in that aspect.
Right.
Just talking through different things, coverages and stuff that he see and how he like to go about it. Like you talked about all the little nuanced stuff that Jimmy do on defense. He's telling me, yo, if you make this guy do this, I'm gonna come and do that. Right? He's telling me how to put my guy in a bad position and make him vulnerable to Jimmy. Which is very interesting, man. And I'm like, that's like high-level stuff, man. So to have someone on my team that I can have those types of conversations with.
That you can run stunts.
It's crazy.
Yeah, it's on the fly. It's in real time. So the adjustments, it's not just a mano a mano thing, or you not saying like, damn, like what am I missing? Somebody is telling you like, yo, send them this way, I got you. Do this, I got you. To have that communication is, you know, they call it defense on being on the string, right? Everything on the string on kind of one accord. Like, I love that. Melly used to tell us to, on defense, to hide everybody's weaknesses. So you would never be caught on the island. You would never be posted up without somebody there to help, right? 'Cause you never wanted to expose your teammate's weakness. If you can mask that and cover that, then it'll be hard for the offense to figure out who to attack. And how to attack.
