Most of the time, the folks invited to a person's special event are those whom he holds close to his heart. Whether it's housewarmings, dinner parties, movie nights, baby showers, or birthdays, the guests are usually the people who have played a significant role in the celebrant's life.
When a basketball player gets married and it's not a private affair, the guests usually include, aside from families and friends, the player's teammates. And so when Draymond Green was the only member of the Golden State Warriors who was not invited to Harrison Barnes' wedding, he figured that Barnes blamed him for his exit because Dray recruited KD to the Warriors after Game 7.
"I didn't tell them to trade you," said Green. "Bruh, all these dudes was at the same meeting that I was at, with KD. They was all there, too."
Barnes and Green were teammates in Golden State from 2012 to 2016. They came out of college together and were two of the four players that the Warriors drafted in 2012, with Barnes picked seventh overall and Green at number 35. Both were key players in the Dubs' first championship in 2015 and during their record-breaking 73-win campaign the following year.
However, after Golden State ridiculously blew a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals and lost in Game 7 at home to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers , Green recruited KD to the Dubs and when Durant said yes, the Warriors renounced their rights to Barnes, who was then a free agent, to have cap space to sign KD. Dray says Barnes blamed him for his fate but did not mind it.
"It sucks that you got traded, but you went and made your money," Green added.
As Dray said, management called the Warriors for a team meeting where everyone, including Barnes and Green, was present and they were told of the plan to sign KD and that they would need cap space to do that, hence some of them might have to go. Andrew Bogut was traded to the Mavs to clear cap space. Barnes was let go because he was a free agent.
"There were a lot of emotions after a Game 7 loss," said Barnes back then "I think a lot of people were upset, frustrated. And we blew a 3-1 lead. So that was the mindset. I think we knew they were going to blow it up if we lost that series, which we did. I can't say I was surprised."
"It was difficult, man," Barnes added. "Just because you go back and you watch Game 7 and you're like, 'Man, it's two minutes away from planning a parade' or 'Thank you for your services.' It was a pretty big switch. At the end of the day, you've got to put that stuff to the side. I made the decision to go to Dallas. I don't really dwell on that and just move forward."
Harrison ended up signing a four-year, $94 million contract with the Mavs, which many questioned, given his stats. But Barnes proved his critics wrong and averaged 18.7 points per game in three years with the Mavs. His former teammates, though, went on to win three more chips together, which is something he missed out on.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jul 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
