Draymond Green tried to coax LeBron James away from the Lakers
Draymond Green‘s personal friendship with LeBron James is well documented. During the veteran forward’s suspension, he was seen attending a birthday party for the Los Angeles Lakers superstar. As such, it should come as no surprise that Green attempted to prise LeBron away from the Lakers ahead of the February 8 trade deadline.
Green is also a member of Klutch Sports. He’s represented by Rich Paul, who is also LeBron’s agent and close friend. As such, there’s likely an open line of communication between Green and LeBron, both in terms of their friendship and in professional matters.
“Green — whom [Rich] Paul also represents at Klutch — had sent Paul a text message soliciting his help in convincing James to join him in Golden State, sources said,” Adrian Wojnarowski reported alongside Ramona Shelburne.
Had LeBron been receptive to moving to the Bay Area, Golden State would likely be viewed as champions-elect this season. LeBron would have given them the additional star power they needed to emerge again as the biggest powerhouse in the NBA.
Even at such a late stage in his career, LeBron is still among the top five or ten best players. This season, he’s averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists, shooting 52% from the field and 39.5% from 3-point range. His presence on the Warriors roster would undoubtedly have plugged some holes and given Steph Curry another elite teammate to help contend for a championship.
Ultimately, Green’s friendship wasn’t enough to convince LeBron to switch teams. Now, the Warriors may wait and see how the superstar forward’s contract situation shakes out during the summer. However, it does look unlikely that LeBron would consider moving teams so late in his career.
