Both the Lakers and the Warriors find themselves in need of changes this season. With the Warriors currently 11th with a 15-17 record, and the Lakers placed just ahead as the 10th seed with a 17-17 record, both teams are striving for improvements. Speculation has arisen regarding a potential trading of Draymond Green and Austin Reaves between the two teams, a suggestion put forward by Bill Simmons. He proposed that the Lakers could trade for Green and possibly include Austin Reaves, and possibly Moses Moody, in return.

However, while an intriguing proposition, it’s a deal that could ultimately be detrimental for both parties. Trading Reaves for a player like Green would not benefit the Lakers, and similarly, the Warriors would be losing a key defensive asset for a shooting guard who might struggle to find significant playing time behind the likes of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

Indeed, if the suggested deal were to transpire, involving Draymond Green and Moses Moody for Austin Reaves, it stands as a trade that the Warriors would likely regret. Green’s contributions to the Golden State system cannot be understated, and trading him for a scoring guard, even if it necessitates including Moody, seems impractical. Green has maintained an average of 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists when on court this season.

Similarly, the Lakers would not be inclined to favor this deal, despite the potential appeal for LeBron James to see his close friend Draymond join the franchise. While the inclusion of Moody could offer a scoring replacement for Reaves, the lack of consistency would pose a concern for the Lakers. Moody has been averaging 8.2 points and 3.2 rebounds this season.

Considering Reaves’ average of 15.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, it’s uncertain how he might fit into the Warriors’ system. With both Chris Paul and Reaves as backup guard options, integrating Reaves becomes challenging, particularly given the presence of Klay Thompson in the starting lineup. Moving on from Green would potentially open up a starting position for Jonathan Kuminga, but it would leave the frontcourt lacking in depth beyond that.

Furthermore, from a financial standpoint, facilitating a deal of this nature would be complicated for both teams. The Lakers could potentially need to include players like Rui Hachimura to make the trade financially viable, leading to an overpayment for a player like Green, who is arguably past his prime.

While the concept is interesting, it appears that this trade would not necessarily benefit either franchise. The Warriors would ideally seek scorers in the market, but parting ways with Draymond to achieve this might prove unnecessary. On the other hand, the Lakers would likely prefer to bolster their guard lineup, making a trade for another forward like Green unappealing.