It may have only been preseason, but Draymond Green was already in midseason form Sunday night, and Dalton Knecht found himself on the receiving end.
During the Golden State Warriors’ exhibition game against the Los Angeles Lakers, cameras caught Green jawing at the rookie forward after a brief exchange near the free-throw line.
Knecht appeared to have some words for the veteran as Deandre Ayton stepped up to shoot, and Green didn’t hesitate to respond in classic fashion.
“He talking s—t like he ain’t get traded and sent back. F—k wrong with him,” Green said, per the game broadcast.
Draymond Green to Dalton Knecht:
“Don’t talk sh*t to me, you got traded and got traded back” 😳
(h/t @MrBuckBuckNBA )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 13, 2025
The fiery jab was a not-so-subtle reminder of one of last season’s strangest trade deadline moments.
If you need reminding – Knecht was included in a proposed deal that would’ve sent him and Cam Reddish, along with future picks, to the Hornets in exchange for Mark Williams. But when Williams reportedly failed his physical, the trade collapsed, and Knecht was promptly sent back to Los Angeles.
While Green’s trash talk grabbed headlines, Knecht earned plenty of praise postgame from Lakers head coach JJ Redick.
“I thought he let the game come to him offensively. Did some nice things in transition, got to the free throw line,” Redick said. “Again, his sort of ceiling is gonna be based on his improvement this season as a defender. He’s a big-time threat and a big-time player and he’s made improvements. But that’s ultimately gonna be what the ceiling is for him.
“He’s had, offensively, the best of any person on our team in camp. We tracked everything — the first three-day segment he shot 16-of-27 from the field and 12-of-20 from three, and the second three-day segment he shot 16-of-27 from the field and 12-of-20 from three. He’s literally the leading scorer in live play by like 42 points.”
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