Draymond Green's future has been a major source of speculation over recent months, and will continue to do as the veteran forward weighs up his $27.7 million player option with the Golden State Warriors for next season.
Green's likely involvement in a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo before the February deadline has been well chronicled, but another rumor of a move to the Los Angeles Lakers shouldn't make any sense to Warrior fans.
Draymond Green to Lakers trade rumors don't make any sense
After the Milwaukee Bucks continued to strongly deny any interest in trading Antetokounmpo, the Warriors contemplated sending Green to the Lakers for a future protected pick according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints on Friday.
"At one point, there was a proposal put together by the Dubs that would have sent Green to the Lakers for a future protected draft pick," Siegel reported.
It would be one thing to trade Green for Antetokounmpo, or for another star player like Kawhi Leonard, but simply trading him for a mediocre pick and some salary relief doesn't make much sense given his stature at the franchise.
The Lakers would have had to have matched salary, likely with the expiring contracts of Rui Hachimura and Maxi Kleber. While that pair and a pick is about right in terms of value for Green at this point of his career, ending his career at the Warriors for such an underwhelming trade package wouldn't feel right.
Green deserves more than that, even if he may jump at the opportunity to play alongside LeBron James and be on a Lakers team that's been far more competitive than the injury-ravaged Warriors over recent months.
Draymond Green's fit at the Lakers would have been skeptical
The former Defensive Player of the Year could have certainly added something to the Lakers on that side of the floor, complementing the offensive wizardry of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and James. The Lakers have ranked eighth in offense, but just 20th in defense across the season.
Would Green have fit in a frontcourt with James (31.3% 3-point shooter this season) and one of Deandre Ayton or Jaxson Hayes, both of who don't stretch the floor? The spacing concerns would be a problem, and might have led to Green coming off the bench or playing heavy minutes as a small-ball five.
The trade between the two pacific rivals ultimately didn't go down, leaving question marks on both Green and James' heading into free agency and as the Warriors and Lakers look to build their next championship team.