Draymond Green Speaks Candidly On Andre Drummond Trade Situation

Draymond Green is one of the most outspoken players in the league and he’s speaking out with regards to Andre Drummond’s current situation in Cleveland, chastising the NBA for double standards when it comes to players requesting trades and teams publicly shopping their players for deals.

His three-minute post-game press interview is making headlines after the Warriors defeated the Cavaliers on Monday night. While the game was a blowout, it still managed to be filled with drama after the Cavs decided to sit Andre Drummond until they find a suitable trade for him, moving forward with Jarrett Allen as their center.

“I would like to talk about something that’s really bothering me,” said Draymond Green to start his interview. “And it’s the treatment of players in this league. To watch Andre Drummond, before the game, sit on the sidelines, then go to the back, and to come out in street clothes because a team is going to trade him, it’s bullsh*t.

Because when James Harden asked for a trade, and essentially dogged it, no one’s going to fight back that James was dogging it his last days in Houston, but he was castrated for wanting to go to a different team. Everybody destroyed that man. And yet a team can come out and say, ‘Oh, we want to trade a guy,’ and then that guy has to go sit, and if he doesn’t stay professional, then he’s a cancer. And he’s not good in someone’s locker room, and he’s the issue.”

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The forward went on to reference the situations surrounding Harrison Barnes and DeMarcus Cousins, saying:

“And we’re seeing situations of Harrison Barnes getting pulled off the bench. Or DeMarcus Cousins finding out he’s traded in an interview after the All-Star Game, and we continue to let this happen. But I got fined for stating my opinion on what I thought should happen with another player, but teams can come out and continue to say, ‘Oh, we’re trading guys, we’re not playing you.’ And yet we’re to stay professional. 

At some point, as players, we need to be treated with the same respect. And have the same rights that the team can have. Because as a player, you’re the worst person in the world when you want a different situation. But a team can say they’re trading you. And that man is to stay in shape, he is to stay professional. And if not, his career is on the line. At some point, this league has to protect the players from embarrassment like that.”

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He concluded his press conference by saying:

“As players, we’re told to, ‘Ah, no, you can’t say that, you can’t say this.’ But teams can? It goes along the same lines of when everyone wants to say, ‘Ah, man, that young guy can’t figure it out.’ But no one wants to say the organization can’t figure it out. At some point, the players must be respected in these situations, and it’s ridiculous, and I’m sick of seeing it. Y’all have a great night.”

Green has a history of getting fined for his comments on the league’s transparency and other players’ situations. Do you agree with what he had to say?

[via]