Draymond Green draws Kobe Bryant parallels for $4M trade candidate
Earlier this week, Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors faced off against the Brooklyn Nets. Following the matchup, the former Defensive Player of the Year compared one of their trade candidates to an all-time great.
With the team now in a rebuild, Cam Thomas is a young player on the Nets who has seen an expanded role this season. He is making the most of the opportunity, scoring a career-high 24.7 points per game. Thomas was a catalyst in the Nets upsetting the Warriors Monday, notching 23 points in the 128-120 win.
Days after the game, Thomas was a guest on Draymond Green's podcast. He spoke on how the Warriors defended the Nets' guard that night, comparing his offensive mentality to that of Kobe Bryant.
"I'm still closing the trap in and he just rose up and shot it," Green said. "He different. This is Kobe like."
Despite Thomas emerging as a key contributor for the Nets, the front office is still keeping their options open. With him getting ready to be a free agent this summer, reports have surfaced in recent weeks that he is available in trade talks.
Dropping a game to the rebuilding Nets is a blemish on the Warriors' strong start to the season, but they still sit in third place in the West at 12-6.
Cam Thomas tells Draymond Green the difference between James Harden and Steph Curry
For his entire NBA career, Draymond Green has been fortunate enough to play alongside an all-time great talent in Steph Curry. While speaking with Cam Thomas, he asked the young guard which stars of their generation he drew inspiration from growing up.
Thomas ended up shining a positive light on James Harden and Curry with his answer. He feels players gravitate towards Harden because of his play style, but Curry impacted how teams play as a whole.
"I think we really gravitated towards James because James was doing the isos," Thomas said. "I think Steph really changed the way teams really wanted to play the game of basketball. Shooting the threes, moving around without the ball."
Similar to Draymond Green, Thomas has had the opportunity to play alongside some all-time talents. When he first arrived to the Nets in 2021-22, they still had their star trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Harden. However, it did not last long. Harden was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers midway through Thomas' rookie year, with KD and Irving getting traded a year later.
Even though he was only around these stars briefly, it's clear Thomas has picked up some tricks and skills that have helped him put together a breakout season.