When the video of the Warriors' internal training was exposed, Green was already in a very unfavorable position. It was him who first provoked Poole , and he had no power to take action. No matter who it is, it is unforgivable to fight his teammates so much. Next, Green may become the Warriors' cleanup target. He is holding a big contract and is a veteran again. He should have maintained the unity in the team, but now it has disrupted the atmosphere in the locker room and should not be kept.
Although Green's offensive end has declined severely, his defense is still very reliable. Last season, he was selected as the All-Star for his defensive performance, so he has some trading value and there will still be teams interested in him, especially those that need to strengthen his defense. The US media suggests that the Warriors, Lakers , Pacers , and make a big deal around Green with 4-man and 3 teams: the Lakers beat two birds with one stone, and the Warriors won the first round pick
potential plan is:
Lakers get Green, Hilder
Warriors get Miles Turner . Pacers' first round pick
Pacers got Westbrook . Lakers 2027 + 2029 first round pick
Lakers really need to strengthen their defense. Last season their defensive data was one of the teams at the bottom, so even if James averaged 30 points per game, the Lakers still lost more and won less. It is no secret that they want to trade Westbrook. They once wanted to exchange Westbrook for Irving during the offseason, but Nets did not agree and had to give up. Moreover, the three Lakers account for 80% of the team's salary space, and if you want to strengthen, you must trade Westbrook.
get Green, which can strengthen the Lakers' inside defense and reduce the defensive pressure on , , and with a sharpshooter like Hilder, it makes the Lakers' offense easier to open. The Lakers are not short of point guards nowadays. Beverly , Schroder and even Nunn have good abilities, so trading Westbrook is the best choice.
Warriors lineup upgrade, Turner is a very rare inside line, with first-class frame protection and assistive defense ability, has won the block king, and his physical talent is better than Green. He also has a good three-pointer, which will not be ignored on the offensive end. Green's defensive role can also be replaced by new players Kumingga and Wiggins . Judging from the preseason, Kumingga's defensive awareness has become better. The Warriors got another first-round pick, which is very meaningful because the Warriors are very good at cultivating newcomers by themselves.
Pacers have obtained valuable reconstruction assets. They used the first round of Lakers 2 in 2026 to exchange for the first round of the future. In a few years, James will retire and Davis will age and may become a weak team. Their first round will be very valuable. The Pacers, who have started reconstruction, should have risen in four years, and their first-round picks will not be very high by then. Although Westbrook's contract is large, fortunately there is only one year left. In the middle of the season, the Pacers can still trade Westbrook's contract again, send him to the team that wants to clear the space, and get a young player or first-round pick.
So this deal is beneficial to the three teams. The Lakers adjust their lineup to strive for the championship again, the Warriors also increase the bargaining chips for defending the title, and the Pacers accelerate their reconstruction speed.
