Is it time for the Lakers to get the band back together and bring Danny Green home?
Dwight Howard might not be the only former Lakers champion that the team wants to bring back in free agency. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the team also wants to recruit Danny Green back to Los Angeles, less than a year after trading him for Dennis Schröder.
Haynes dropped the report during an appearance on NBA TV right before the free agency negotiating window officially opened up at 3 p.m. PT on Monday:
“They (the Lakers) kind of want to get the band back together… sources told me that Danny Green is a player they’re pursuing, and Dwight Howard.”
What’s left for the Lakers after signing Russ? @ChrisBHaynes stopped by NBA TV to discuss the Lakers free agency outlook. pic.twitter.com/pqtVmpEnVb
— NBA TV (@NBATV) August 2, 2021
However, as much of a feel-good story as that would be for the Lakers to bring back two contributors to their title team, acquiring Green isn’t viewed as quite as “inevitable” as bringing back Howard is in league circles. As Kyle Goon of the O.C. Register pointed out on Twitter, Green will likely have richer offers than the Lakers can provide for him:
Remember that the best the Lakers could really offer Danny is the $5.9 million taxpayer midlevel, which is probably below his market value.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) August 2, 2021
Does that mean that there is no chance Green, 34, won’t want to return to Los Angeles to reunite with his former teammates and try to win another ring? Of course not. But at his age, it does make declining his last chance at a big payday unlikely.
If Green were to decide to return, however, he would give the Lakers some of the shooting they’re hoping to add in free agency. The 12-year veteran shot 40.5% from deep last season after making just 36.7% of his triples with the Lakers during his sole season in Los Angeles. As long as he can stay closer to the former number on all the open looks he’d get while sharing the floor with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, he would be a great addition. He could also help out on defense, even if he isn’t quite what he once was on that end.
But just don’t expect him to actually return. At least not yet. Not when he can likely get far more money elsewhere, and we’ve heard no rumors that he’s willing to take such a steep pay cut.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow Harrison on Twitter at @hmfaigen.
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