With free agency set to begin later this week, rumors had already started to spread regarding the Los Angeles Lakers’ plans for the truncated offseason.
It comes as no surprise to see that such talks have reportedly centered around Danny Green. He was among the players mentioned as being included in a potential trade with the San Antonio Spurs, which also involved Kyle Kuzma and DeMar DeRozan.
That quickly changed, however, as Green appears headed to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trade that will send Dennis Schroder to the Lakers.
According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Lakers were clearly open to trading Green if a team had interest:
Something to keep an eye on: per sources, the Lakers will discuss Danny Green trades with teams that have interest. It’s unclear if the Knicks would consider taking on Green’s deal, but they would have the cap space to absorb it if they decline the options they have on some of their veteran players.
The Lakers had high hopes for Green after signing him to a two-year, $30 million contract last offseason as part of their efforts to build a championship-caliber roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
His pedigree and skill set as a 3-and-D player seemingly made him an ideal fit for this lineup.
Unfortunately, Green failed to provide much bang for his buck and the $15 million price tag was beginning to look a bit steep.
There also was the simple fact of Green’s contract being an expiring deal, which historically has proven to carry value throughout the NBA.
Green had previously acknowledged the prospect of his name being attached to trade rumors following a disappointing showing in the Orlando bubble, though he hoped the Lakers would largely return the same roster for a title defense.
Schroder provides scoring, insurance
The Lakers being on the verge of acquiring Schroder from the Thunder addresses two key areas. He’s a versatile guard who can both orchestrate the offense and create his own shot, and is also insurance in the event Rajon Rondo is lost via free agency.
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