Getty LeBron James hugging Draymond Green.
The Golden State Warriors aren’t going to have Draymond Green for a while. The NBA suspended the four-time All-Star indefinitely after he struck Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic during the December 12 matchup between the two teams.
This is the second time that Green has been suspended this season and he will have league-mandated counseling that he has to go through before he can get reinstated. The Warriors are in the midst of a rough season with a 10-13 record. Green could be becoming a headache for the struggling team and Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey floated some trade ideas.
One trade pitch was sending Green to the Los Angeles Lakers for Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes.
“This one has to wait a bit longer than others, since Rui Hachimura isn’t trade-eligible till January 15, but the indefinite nature of Green’s suspension means he may not even be on the floor at that point,” Bailey wrote in a December 14 column. “It also still gives the Lakers a few weeks before the trade deadline to move the soon-to-be-26-year-old forward.
“If they did so for Green, they’d be uniting him with a fellow Klutch client in LeBron James, whom Green has praised on countless occasions over the years. And they’d be making an already stout defense anchored by Anthony Davis borderline nightmarish.”
Fair Trade for Draymond Green?
For the Lakers, this trade would make sense. Rui Hachimura hasn’t been a consistent part of the rotation this season and has not played in nine games this season. Jaxson Hayes is only playing 11.0 minutes a game so sending him out wouldn’t be a huge loss, especially considering who they’d be getting in return.
Trading two role players for a four-time All-Star like Draymond Green would be a steal. Now, he does cause other issues with his personality on the court. However, he has a close relationship with LeBron James, and perhaps the future Hall of Famer can keep him in check.
From the Warriors’ perspective, it’s difficult to see why they’d make this deal. Green has won four championships with the team and is one of the cornerstones of the franchise. Yes, he’s starting to cause headaches with his antics on the court but they should be able to get a bit more if they were to trade him.
Draymond has been ejected after flagrant foul on Nurkić
Kevin Durant Reacts to Draymond Green Suspension
Draymond Green’s suspension could be lengthy, which puts the Warriors in a difficult position as they try to start winning more games. Kevin Durant knows Green well from his time with Golden State and even he was surprised by the big man’s actions.
“That was insane to see. Glad Nurk is alright,” Durant said in his December 13 press conference. “Never seen that before on the basketball court in an NBA game. I hope Draymond gets the help he needs. … I know Draymond and that’s not—he hasn’t been that way when I was around him and coming into the league. So hopefully, he gets the help he needs to get back on the court and put all this stuff behind him.”
The NBA clearly doesn’t trust Green to play safe basketball on the court and he may not play again until he can prove to the league that he’s not going to put other players in danger.