In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic that forced the NBA to suspend its season, several crazy trade ideas have started surfacing on the web. These include the hypothetical trade deal that would enable Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green to join forces with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard on the Los Angeles Clippers . In his recent article, Eddie Bitar of Fadeaway World included the Green-to-Clippers trade on the list of 10 blockbuster deals that NBA fans want to see in the 2020 offseason.
In the proposed trade deal, the Clippers would be sending a package that includes Patrick Beverley, Ivica Zubac, and Landry Shamet to the Warriors in exchange for Green. The deal works on ESPN ‘s NBA Trade Machine.
“This is a trade that could happen since the Clippers are hungry for all the top defensive talent that is out there in the league,” Bitar wrote. “In order to compete with the Lakers and Bucks, they need strong defenders to relieve the pressure off Paul George and especially Kawhi Leonard, who must be the main options on offense along with Lou Williams. Draymond Green is probably one of the most versatile defensive players in recent history, and can actually space the floor and run the offense as well. Draymond will add some depth and defense to the Clippers and give them an extremely formidable defense.”
Green would be an incredible addition to the Clippers, giving them an All-Star caliber big man with plenty of championship experience. During the years he spent with the likes of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson in Golden State, Green learned how to efficiently co-exist with other superstars, making him an ideal fit alongside Leonard and George. Though Green isn’t a volume scorer, he’s one of the best that the league could offer when it comes to defense.
Adding him to their core would further improve the Clippers’ defensive efficiency, which currently ranks No. 4 in the league, allowing 104.9 points per 100 possessions. The Clippers may currently be the heavy favorite to win the 2020 NBA championship title, but Bitar believes that the potential arrival of Green this summer would give them a better chance of beating their top rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks, in a best-of-seven series.
With Leonard and George leading the team’s offense, Green would be the one taking the biggest responsibility on the defensive end of the floor, where Coach Doc Rivers is expected to give him the task of guarding the likes of LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Unfortunately for the Clippers, though Beverley, Zubac, and Shamet would all be intriguing acquisitions for the Warriors, it is less likely that they would push through with the trade, especially if they know that it would make one of the NBA teams that would try to prevent them from reclaiming the title next season even more dangerous. If ever the Warriors decide to part ways with Green, it would only be in a deal that enabled them to acquire another All-Star caliber player who could complement Curry and Thompson.
