LA Lakers Rumors: NBA executive thinks Draymond Green is joining Lakers this summer

Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors could opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer. Green has been linked with the LA Lakers due to his budding friendship with LeBron James.

An NBA executive told Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports that many teams around the league assume Green will join the Lakers. The executive explained that the Warriors could have a tough time trading the former Defensive Player of the Year due to his inclination towards LA.

"Hard to say what you could get for Draymond at this point because he can be a free agent," the exec said. "And everyone assumes he's going to the Lakers next summer. You'd probably have to take back a bad contract to move him.

And they’re not going to see that as being worth it, so he's not going anywhere. But it is a big shadow over that team. They've had injuries and some bad personnel decisions, but the Draymond thing is still there."

Draymond Green has been very vocal about his friendship with LeBron James following their battles in the NBA Finals. The LA Lakers are looking for shooting ahead of the trade deadline, something that Green does not offer.

The Lakers could have plenty of cap space this summer, which bodes well for Green if he becomes a free agent. It also augurs well for his hopes of joining the Lakers, as he's friends with James and is represented by Klutch Sports.

Meanwhile, the Warriors are still feeling the effects of Green's incident with Jordan Poole in the offseason. Sean Deveney reported last week that whether the defending champions like it or not, the punch affected the team's chemistry heading into the season.

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LA Lakers among interested teams in Zach LaVine

The LA Lakers might be interested in Zach LaVine.

While the LA Lakers are not in Draymond Green at the moment, they're monitoring situations around the NBA ahead of the trade deadline. One of the most intriguing teams is the Chicago Bulls due to their abundance of potentially available talent.

Zach LaVine's name has been on the rumor mill, as the Bulls struggled for consistency midway through the season. Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports recently reported that the Lakers, along with the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat, are interested in LaVine if the Bulls make him available.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka told reporters a few weeks ago that they will consider any trades that could help the team win a championship.

LaVine is a two-time All-Star who could score and shoot the ball. His contract and injury history might scare teams away, but the lack of available stars leave the Lakers with no choice.

Another link between the Lakers and LaVine is Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. Paul serves as LaVine's agent, as well as of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.