Viral Clip Shows Draymond Green Mercilessly Reminding Dalton Knecht About Getting Traded By Lakers

Draymond Green is a formidable basketball mind in more ways than one. The former Defensive Player of the Year isn’t just proficient at disrupting ball-screen action and intercepting passing lanes. He also knows how to get under the skin of any and all opponents on the hard court.

This past Sunday, Green’s Golden State Warriors took on a LeBron James-less L.A. Lakers squad. In the absence of James and Luka Doncic, guards like Dalton Knecht got to have more playing time than usual. The problem was that Knecht had to deal with Green longer than he would have liked.

In a viral clip, Green and Knecht are seen standing next to each other as Lakers center Deandre Ayton attempts a free throw. Right before Ayton puts up the bonus shot, Green speaks audibly enough for the TV broadcast to pick up what he’s saying to Knecht.

“Don’t talk s*** to me,” Green tells Knecht in the clip. “You got traded and got traded back.”

For those who may have forgotten, Green is referring to the fact that Knecht was included in a trade package for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams this past February. However, two days after the NBA officially announced this transaction, the trade was rescinded after Williams failed a physical.

This led to the awkward situation of Knecht returning to Lakers practice after being made to believe that his time in Tinseltown had come to an end. Knecht went on to finish the season with the Lakers, though he played sparingly in their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The memories of this unique situation were exactly what Green was weaponizing to throw Knecht off his game during their preseason encounter. Knecht, however, ended up having the last laugh as the Lakers won that game 126–116. The sharpshooter finished with 16 points on 4-for-9 shooting from the field, while his trash-talking opponent had just two points, one rebound, and four assists in 22 minutes of action.

It should not be forgotten, of course, that this is a preseason game. If Green had no hesitation in bringing up a potentially embarrassing moment in Knecht’s career that night, he is certainly well equipped to inflict even more psychological damage when the regular season gets underway.