Lakers Rumors: LA Interested in Bringing Back Former 2020 Champ Via Buyout Market

Would he fit?

Your Los Angeles Lakers may be bringing back yet another old friend, this time through the buyout market. In an appearance on ESPN's "NBA Today," Adrian Wojnarowski spoke with host Malika Andrews about some intriguing buyout candidates. Wing Danny Green, who won a title with LA during its 2019-20 championship season, was flipped from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Houston Rockets at the trade deadline, and is expected to join the buyout free agent market.

"Danny Green's the interesting player in Houston," Woj told Andrews. I'm told that he would like to be waived, just like John Wall is being waived, and not have to do a buyout... Teams like Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles have great interest in him. [The] buyout market has changed in recent years. Not as many players. Guys don't want to give up their Bird Rights. The fear sometimes is if you do a buyout, you become a minimum player. "

The 35-year-old Green may be stuck in minimum-salaried buyout player terrain anyway. He has appeared in just three games since coming off his ACL and LCL tears. Age and these major injuries may chill interest in Green elsewhere, especially if younger options are available (Terrence Ross on the wing and maybe even Will Barton, who's definitely worth more than the minimum).

If he can become even 80% of his 2019-20 self in time for the playoffs, Green is certainly worth a flyer for LA.

The 6'6" 3-and-D swingman has been a starter on three different title-winning squads: the 2014 San Antonio Spurs (who decimated current Laker LeBron James's Miami Heat in five games), the 2019 Toronto Raptors, and your Lakers.

It's not really fair to assess his 2022-23 season to date, as he returned on the early side of players recovering from ACL surgeries, which surprised me due to his relatively advanced age. Instead, let's look at his last healthy season, where he was a key rotation player for the 2021-22 Philadelphia 76ers, a solid 51-31 playoff club that made it to the Eastern Semis. 

Across 62 regular season games (28 starts) last year, Green averaged a modest 5.9 points a game on .394/.380/.786 shooting splits (the 38% three-point rate came on 4.4 tries), 2.5 rebounds, one assist and one steal in 21.8 minutes per contest. LA did totally reshape its roster at the trade deadline, but it could still use at least one more defensively inclined wing. One who could nail the occasional catch-and-shoot triple would be especially useful! Green no longer needs to be what he was for LA during his first time around. But if he can stifle opponents on the wing for 15 minutes a night and make some treys, he could prove quite helpful for LA's playoff push.