After the lifting of the January 15 restrictions, most NBA players around the league are completely eligible to be traded from now until February 8. The Lakers, Warriors, and Bulls are all expected to play some role in deadline-day madness.
The Lakers and Warriors are expected to buy for their win-now projects while the Bulls are expected to teardown for a rebuild. Bill Simmons has a suggestion where all three teams get what they want, with Draymond heading to the Lakers being the centerpiece.
Trade Details
Bulls Receive: Rui Hachimura, 2029 First-Round Pick (LAL)
Warriors Receive: Nikola Vucevic
Lakers Receive: Draymond Green
“They gotta end the Draymond era. Send him to the Lakers, he’ll be super happy… LeBron keeps him in check, it makes too much sense.”
This Bill Simmons trade proposal has Draymond Green going to the Lakers 😮
“They gotta end the Draymond era. Send him to the Lakers, he’ll be super happy … LeBron keeps him in check, it makes too much sense." pic.twitter.com/uKiUO115E3
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) January 16, 2024
To make the deal feasible, the Lakers would need to include one other player. The most out-of-place with another addition in the frontcourt would be Jaxson Hayes, especially with Christian Wood recently finding his way into the lineup.
The Bulls get off Nikola Vucevic in this deal and receive the assets of Rui Hachimura and a first-round pick from the Lakers, while the Warriors land Vucevic. It essentially allows the Bulls and Warriors to swap frontcourt players while the Lakers pay the price with a talented 24-year-old forward and a draft pick that will convey after this current iteration of the Lakers is long forgotten.
Would This Trade Make Sense?
Despite Simmons’ belief that this deal makes sense, this likely won’t materialize because it goes against what the Lakers need. This is a franchise that could lose LeBron James as soon as this summer and needs to keep the pieces on the roster young just in case they need to reshape a winning core around their players. Draymond has a long-term salary and is past his prime, making this a tough deal to swallow. He’s averaging 9.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.7 assists this season.
The Lakers need a guard so offloading with either Hachimura or an extremely valuable draft pick for anything less than an All-Star guard would be an unnecessary lateral move for the Lakers. The team needs to add scoring, not a player like Green who would make their defense meaner but wouldn’t add a scoring spark.
The Warriors walk out as winners in this deal by upgrading personnel at the moment, though the reality of trading Draymond away is much darker. Green is a one-franchise man and has given his all to the Warriors, so even if he’s getting sent to play with LeBron, being moved away from Golden State will suck. The Warriors will accept it as they get a player averaging 16.8 points and 10.4 rebounds like Vucevic to be their starting center.
The Bulls have a few young frontcourt prospects on the team already, with Patrick Williams and Dalen Terry being high-potential forwards. Hachimura would slide into that mix, likely playing alongside Williams while Terry continues to develop. He’s averaging 11.8 points and 3.6 rebounds, so getting him and that pick would be a major steal for Chicago.
Unfortunately, I don’t see the Lakers trading away a pick as valuable as their 2029 selection for just Draymond Green and not adding depth around that, especially if they also have to give up another player.
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