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4 Mavericks players the Lakers have to demand in any LeBron trade

By Josh Cornelissen

DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 26 : Josh Green #8 of the Dallas Mavericks passes the ball around Mo Bamba #12 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half of the game at American Airlines Center on February 26, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 26 : Josh Green #8 of the Dallas Mavericks passes the ball around Mo Bamba #12 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half of the game at American Airlines Center on February 26, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers
Josh Green, Dallas Mavericks. Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images /

The Lakers have to demand Josh Green

In recent years, the NBA has seen an influx of talent from Australia, with players such as Ben Simmons, Josh Giddey, Jock Landale and Dyson Daniels all entering the league, joining veteran talents such as Matthew Dellavedova, Patty Mills and Joe Ingles. Irving himself was actually born in Australia.

Perhaps the most underrated member of this Australian migration is Josh Green, the 18th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Green is a 6’5″ wing with long arms and plenty of strength, and his defensive instincts are exceptional. After the Mavericks traded away Dorian Finney-Smith at the deadline, with Maxi Kleber sidelined, it was Green holding down the fort as the team’s best defender.

As an excellent athlete, Green still holds plenty of offensive promise. He hit 40.2% of his 3-pointers last season, and he’s young and raw enough for that to represent growth and not a fluke; he set a career-high in both free-throwing shooting and 2-point shooting. If so, Green goes from an Andre Iguodala-lite kind of player to being … well, perhaps Iguodala with a shot. That’s the top end of his projection, of course, but he has a lot of potential still to be tapped.

Next. 3 High-profile, 2 low-key Lakers offseason targets for 2023. dark

The Lakers probably aren’t as blindsided by this trade rumor as the rest of the NBA world, but they don’t have much time to decide whether to walk down this road. If they do, however, they need to hold firm on their trade demands: they’re getting back the Mavericks’ best assets, or they aren’t sending the best player in the history of the sport packing.

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