1. Draymond Green
This sounds asinine but there is a world in which Draymond Green could be donning the purple and gold next season. If anything, it seems increasingly likely that Green will not be with the Warriors next season, so that is at least a start.
Green has a player option for the 2023-24 season and this offseason is probably the last time he can get paid in free agency. He could throw the team a bone and opt in but it is much more likely that he opts out looking for a new deal.
With the new CBA severely punishing teams that go way over the luxury tax apron, the Warriors may have to bite the bullet and simply let Draymond walk. The Lakers might not be the favorites to sign Draymond in this situation but it certainly is possible.
Why the Lakers could actually land Draymond Green
Draymond and LeBron have not made it a secret that the two players really like each other and might even want to play with each other in the not-so-distant future. This is a player-driven league and that relationship is a huge start.
The Lakers also have the cap space to theoretically sign Green to a decent-sized contract. It won’t be a max deal but if they let D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba walk then they could sign Green to something along the lines of a three-year, $75 million contract.
Would that be enough? It is tough to say. Green really isn’t a max player at this point in his career but NBA teams get desperate. Would it even be the smartest thing the Lakers can do? Probably not, as Green might not be as valuable to the Lakers as he was to the Warriors.
But is it possible? Absolutely. As crazy as it sounds, Green is the most likely Warrior to join the Lakers this summer.