Getty LeBron James, Draymond Green, Los Angeles Lakers
There’s no doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers could use some additional talent being added to their rotation – especially in the form of an impactful veteran with championship experience.
While finding a championship-caliber addition during the season seems highly unlikely, there is a significant chance Los Angeles could make a splash next summer. According to a Western Conference Executive, who spoke with Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, the Lakers could potentially have a shot at landing Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green – should the veteran decide against picking up the player option on his current deal.
“If he gets a big offer from Detroit, as one example, or maybe Dallas or the Lakers, somewhere he would like to play? He is not going to be shy about leaving. He understands this business…He is Klutch. you know he loves being on the barbershop show with LeBron. He wants to have an entertainment career when he is done playing. You don’t need to be in L.A. for that but it helps,” The executive said.
Green has been an integral part of the Warriors dynasty, and while his departure from Golden State feels unlikely, their front office will have some tough decisions to make in the near future, especially since their championship core is aging, and their tax bill is astronomical.
Warriors Could Lose Draymond Next Summer
During the executive’s conversation with Deveney, the notion of Golden State allowing Green to leave next summer was broached, and it would seem that neither the Warriors’ front office nor the player himself, would be against a split – if it made sense for everybody involved.
“He does not want to, but if you ask around, I think there is a sense that he would. There is a limit on how much they’re going to spend to keep this thing together and because they have young guys are just about every position, they’re approaching it like there’s no one outside of Steph that they have to keep. Look, it would suck for them if Draymond left, it would suck to call up Steph and have to tell him, but Draymond has made it clear he is about player power,” The executive said.
Green has been with Golden State for his entire career and boasts averages of 8.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game with 31.5% shooting from deep and 51.4% shooting from two-point range. And given Green’s experience as being a third-star on a contending team, he would seemingly have no issues adapting to playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, should the Lakers try to acquire him next summer.
Kevin O’Connor Urges Warriors to Move On From Green
Following reports of an altercation between Green and Jordan Poole during the Warriors’ pre-season tour, the noise surrounding the veteran’s future with his current franchise is starting to grow louder.
According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, moving on from Green – either via trade or free agency – may not be the worst idea for a Golden State franchise that is looking to usher in its next generation of stars.
“With all the upcoming contract extensions for Golden State – including Poole AND Green – they won’t be able to keep everyone. Is there any part of you that wonders if the Warriors should move on from Draymond? It’d be something out of the Patriots playbook,” O’Connor wrote on Instagram.
Still, with the Lakers looking to decrease the average age of their roster, they might choose to go in a different direction than Green, but there’s no denying his presence would provide a significant boost in leadership, defense, and intangibles to a team that has struggled for relevancy since winning a championship in 2020.