Lakers News: NBA Expert's Proposed Draymond Green-To-Lakers Deal
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What if Myles Turner isn't the best defensive-oriented big man the Lakers could add in a Russell Westbrook trade? What if LeBron James's new buddy Draymond Green (LBJ was even invited to his wedding) joined L.A. instead this season?
The four-time champion Golden State Warriors power forward got into a physical fight with sharpshooting reserve guard Jordan Poole recently in practice, which the team tried to play down this week before a TMZ video was leaked today that showed Green violently punching Poole in the face. Both players are eligible for lucrative long-term extensions this year, though it is unclear if that was the source of the tension between them.
On today's episode of The Lowe Post podcast, Zach Lowe of ESPN spoke with Bill Simmons of The Ringer about the newly-leaked footage.
Simmons notes that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has seen team dynamics go awry in a variety of different, exhausting circumstances. "He played on the 'Jail Blazers,' he played on a bunch of different [internally acrimonious] Bulls teams, he's been through it in '19 with [Kevin] Durant," Simmons said. "[By] all accounts everyone says [the final 2018-19 season with Durant was] a really really profoundly unhappy season... I don't think they wanna go through that again... That's why I do think a trade isn't inconceivable."
Green and Durant infamously got into a screaming match on November 12th, 2018, that helped put the nail in the coffin of their professional relationship when KD departed in free agency during the next offseason.
Simmons goes on to pitch to Lowe a three-team trade that does incorporate recent target Myles Turner... but the 6'11" center/power forward doesn't wind up in L.A. in the deal.
In this iteration of a transaction, Green would be sent out to the Lakers, Turner would be sent to the Warriors to replace Green, and the Russell Westbrook contract would be shipped out the Indiana Pacers, who could then dive in to a full-fledged tank-a-thon.
It could work out pretty well for all sides: Golden State would be adding a bigger, younger, similarly versatile, three-point-shooting, defense-first big man to replace Green. Yes, they'd lose his passing and leadership, but Turner would be a solid replacement, and would help unlock even more floor spacing for the club. The Pacers as currently comprised are fairly bad, but are also just possibly a little too good to fully, effectively maximize their tanking efforts in the hopes of adding much-hyped incoming 2023 draft picks Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson.
Your Los Angeles Lakers would get a massive upgrade over Russell Westbrook, an All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year who played a huge role on the reigning 2022 NBA champions. At present, the 32-year-old Green right is better than Myles Turner, though he has not been able to consistently look like his 2017 Defensive Player of the Year self throughout a whole season for a bit. If the Lakers opted to not negotiate an extension with him, they could let him walk in free agency, thus preserving their beloved 2023 cap space.
This (or Turner) would make for a terrific deal. And with the carrot of Wembanyama now dangling to entice Indiana, perhaps they'll cave on the Lakers' desire to only include one of their 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks, plus a swap, rather than demanding both.
