David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Report: Draymond Green's Comments on Kevin Durant Free Agency Concern Warriors

Kyle Newport

As the Golden State Warriors attempt to move on from Monday night's confrontation between Draymond Green and Kevin Durant, details of the heated exchange continue to leak out.

Green wound up being suspended for Tuesday night's game due to "conduct detrimental to the team," which included calling Durant a "b---h," according to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes. Well, that's not the only thing that was said.

Green's message to Durant also included a jab about the team's success before he arrived, per Haynes: "We don't need you. We won without you. Leave."

That may have been harsh for Durant to hear, but it's also not inaccurate (at least not all of it). Golden State started its current dynasty with a championship in 2015 and followed that up by setting an NBA record with 73 regular-season wins in 2015-16, only to fall one game shy of a repeat that season.

Per Haynes, though, the Warriors as an organization don't agree with Green's stance. They want to re-sign the former NBA MVP, which is why Green's tirade earned him a suspension.

It's also important to remember that it was after the Warriors blew a 3-1 Finals lead to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers that Green himself recruited Durant by expressing how much the team needed the then-Oklahoma City Thunder star.

"See what we're missing," Green texted Durant after Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, according to Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins. "We need you. Make it happen."

Well, Green apparently changed his tune at some point from that moment to this week. During that span, the Warriors went 2-of-2 in championships with Durant, with No. 35 winning Finals MVP each time.

Tempers flared on Monday night after Green opted to keep the ball rather than pass it to Durant with a chance to beat the Los Angeles Clippers at the end of regulation:

Golden State went on to lose the game in overtime, and, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears, the altercation continued into the locker room.

The situation has taken on a life of its own given that Durant's contract expires at the end of the season. And according to one Warriors player, per The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II, "there is already no way Durant is coming back" after Green's comments.

Thursday night marked the first time Durant and Green were on the same court for a game since the incident. It didn't end well, a 107-86 loss to the Houston Rockets, but it did give the two teammates a chance to try to at least get back on the same page on the court.

Green addressed the situation both before and after the game Thursday:

Meanwhile, Durant told reporters, via The Athletic's Anthony Slater, not to ask him about the subject again.

As Klay Thompson pointed out, winning will help put this matter to rest. Whether or not the Warriors three-peat, it will ultimately be up to Durant to remain in the Bay Area past his current contract—or to decide if Monday's episode has any effect on his decision. 

   

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