Los Angeles Lakers: 3 potential trades to make involving Danny Green
Rudy Gobert
The Utah Jazz receive: SG/SF Danny Green, C JaVale McGee, PF/SF Kyle Kuzma, Lakers 2020 1st round draft pick
The Los Angeles Lakers receive: C Rudy Gobert
Before COVID-19 this trade scenario would be inconceivable.
A lot can change in 4 months.
Gobert has divided the locker room in Utah. He purposely put his teammates, staff, and opposing players at risk by not respecting the guidelines about touching the microphones and put his teammates at risk.
Gobert got COVID-19 and in turn, it is understood that he passed it onto his fellow teammate, superstar Donovan Mitchell.
While both players are no longer infected, the potential for something fatal to happen to Mitchell and his fellow teammates was at an unacceptable level.
Had Mitchell got infected badly and died, Gobert would never be able to forgive himself and Mitchell’s family would have lost their loved one.
While the circumstances are completely different and to an extent are nowhere near comparable, the D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young scandal is similar in terms of the trust in your teammate being broken.
It is quite unlikely that the Jazz will be able to repair this relationship and in turn, it might become likely that they will move on from Gobert.
It is also unlikely that teams will overpay for Gobert similar to the Russell situation. You are getting a potential locker room disruptor. Tearing apart your roster for him could lead to trouble within the organization.
There are teams such as the Boston Celtics, New Orleans Pelicans, and Golden State Warriors who have the potential to offer better packages than the Lakers but it remains to be seen if they would pull the trigger on Gobert.
Boston stole Gordon Hayward from the Jazz for nothing so the relationship between the two teams might not be strong.
The Pelicans could offer Jrue Holiday and picks for Gobert but Zion and Rudy would occupy the same space. A floor-spacing big makes more sense for New Orleans and the Golden State Warriors are in prime position to land the number 1 overall pick and take James Wiseman number 1 overall for a rookie contract for 4 plus seasons.
The Lakers could potentially sneak in and grab Gobert.
A package which includes Danny Green who is an elite perimeter defender and 3-point shooter, Kyle Kuzma who is a great young prospect who would walk into the starting power forward position for the Jazz, not to mention Kuzma and Mitchell are really good friends, JaVale McGee is a solid starting big man who offers 70% of the rim protection Gobert does and a 1st round pick this year to add a talented 1st rounder.
This also gives them significant cap flexibility come 2021 when Conley’s contract expires and when Mitchell is due for a max contract.
The Lakers would be adding the best defensive center in the league alongside the best defensive power forward in the league.
The rim protection alone would be staggering forcing players to shoot from the outside which is a lower percentage shot. Even then, Gobert and Davis have the footspeed to keep up with players on the perimeter.
The Lakers have the likes of Avery Bradley, Alex Caruso, KCP, Dion Waiters, and J.R Smith to fill in for Danny Green, they can also target a defender in free agency.
They already have AD, Markieff Morris, Jared Dudley, and even LeBron James to get minutes at the power forward position.
Gobert slots into the center spot and the Lakers have the most one of if not the most potent defensive frontcourt in NBA history.