The Lakers and Warriors are both teams that need to make some sort of a change this season. The Warriors are currently 11th with a 15-17 record this season, with the Lakers just slightly ahead as the 10th seed with a 17-17 record. Both teams could make a big move this season, and Bill Simmons believes they should deal with each other to try and swap Draymond Green and Austin Reaves.
“My favorite [trade target is] Austin Reaves. Because, next couple of weeks, you could conceivably make a Draymond Green for Austin Reaves trade. The Lakers, let’s say they’re around .500. Let’s say they talk themselves into that. Does Golden State have to throw in, maybe [Moses] Moody to make that work? I just like the trade. In theory, I don’t think Golden State needs Draymond. I think they should trade him.”
This is a pretty interesting suggestion, but one I disagree with. This would somehow end up being a lose-lose trade, as the Lakers should not get rid of Reaves for someone like Green. Similarly, the Warriors would rue the day they let the primary defensive stopper on their roster go for a streaky scoring guard that needs to play behind Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
But is there some shape of this deal that could work for both franchises?
Which Team Loses This Trade?
If you were to operate with what Simmons suggested and send Draymond with Moses Moody to the Lakers for Austin Reaves, this would be a trade that the Warriors would lose.
Draymond has utility in the Golden State system, and moving on from him to add the offensive punch of Reaves seems nonsensical, especially if you also need to throw in Moses Moody to get the deal done. Draymond has averaged 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists this season when he’s stayed on the court.
The Lakers would not like this deal themselves, even if LeBron James would be happy to see one of his close friends Draymond join the franchise. They are better off in this deal, as they get to replace Reaves’ scoring with Moody’s, though the lack of consistency would be a problem for the franchise. Moody is averaging 8.2 points and 3.2 rebounds this season.
Reaves is averaging 15.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists but it’s hard to see how he fits into the Warriors system. The team will not bench Klay Thompson to play Reaves, meaning they will have both Chris Paul and Reaves as backup guard options. Losing Draymond opens up a starting position for Jonathan Kuminga, but leaves the frontcourt depth bare beyond that.
Most importantly, there is no financial way to make a deal like this work. The Lakers would likely have to throw someone like Rui Hachimura to get the deal to work financially, by which point the Lakers are extremely overpaying for a player like Green who is past his prime.
This may be a lose-lose trade for both franchises, but the idea is interesting. The Warriors need to target scorers in the market, but moving off Draymond to do so seems unnecessary. The Lakers need more reliable guards on their roster, so moving a guard for another forward like Green wouldn’t interest them.
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