Draymond Green and Baron Davis debate whether LeBron James leaves the Lakers after the Luka Dončić trade. They argue the new NBA salary cap's second apron, which forces teams to shed contracts like Luka's $85 million deal, will trigger a wave of trades and erode loyalty among young stars. The Lakers' next 5-10 years depend on Luka's health.
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Here's a bold take. If this does not work, trade Luka, Luka play, you make the playoffs, who knows. Next year, if this shit don't work with Bron, what happens? Does LeBron leave or do the Lakers say, hey, this is the final piece to move to figure out this roster for Luka?
I think if anything's gonna happen with Bron as far as leaving the Lakers, I think it happens this summer. I don't think it's a next year thing because I also don't think, I don't think you're gonna, he don't have time, but I also don't think you're gonna see a LeBron James trade mid-season. I, I—
No.
We were shocked by this one, but I just can't foresee that. Like we made a go at it last year and the one reason it didn't happen is because you just weren't gonna get a LeBron James moving mid-season.
Yeah.
You know, and so, I think if anything happens, it happens this coming summer. I don't think it's—
Got it.
Wait till next deadline and see it ain't working. I don't foresee that. I don't foresee it going away.
But what is the, okay, so what is the domino effect, right, of this trade to the NBA?
Nobody's safe?
Nobody's safe, huh?
And every, and if you're a general manager, you calling on Giannis, you calling on Steph Curry.
Hey, bro.
You calling on LeBron James. You might as well. You calling on Wemby. You calling on guys.
You might as well.
You don't even think you have a chance. Now, if you're a GM, I think the way that this plays out moving forward is you're going to have, you're gonna now start seeing more young promising talent get traded. Because you're gonna just get more calls. And as opposed to before, like nobody's calling and like, yo, y'all trying to trade Steph? Or yo, y'all trying to trade Wim? Nobody's calling and saying, you're gonna get those calls now all the time of people just throwing shit at a wall and seeing if it stick.
Man.
That's kind of the way I, that's the, I think, one of the biggest impacts on the NBA. And then let's face it, you got Luka Dončić in Laker purple and gold.
That's crazy.
That's massive. Like, it's the Lakers, it's the Lakers brand. And now with Luka Dončić in it, you talking about globally, like, it's a real thing.
And LA. Yeah.
And LA.
Los Angeles. There's a real community here, you know, and it's a real diverse community for him. That it's a European vibe here for him. It's a more welcoming vibe for him. So man, damn.
Yeah, I think it changed it for sure.
It's a good, yeah, it's a huge domino effect. I also wanted to pinpoint, Dallas was smart because they got off that supermax.
Yeah.
'Cause that supermax is gonna kill A lot of teams.
It is.
Like you was saying, you're gonna see a lot of young dudes get traded 'cause now it's like they coming up on that supermax and it's like, yo, in 5 years, is this dude gonna be worth $100 million a year?
Yeah. You know what this goes back to, BD? On the Draymond Green Show before I was blessed to have you come on and— partner on this show and bring a whole different life and take to this show. When I just used to be sitting here by myself talking to a camera. Draymond Damas. Draymond Damas.
Absolutely.
I spoke about, and I went on a tweet storm about how fucking dumb, stupid the CBA that we were gonna sign as players. When it first leaked that we were gonna agree to a deal and they leaked the terms, I went on this whole tweet storm and I spoke on the pod about how dumb that CBA was. And you know, you see Luka Dončić getting traded, don't for not for one second think that that's also not a byproduct of that dumbass CBA we signed. You put in a hard cap. The second apron is a hard cap.
Yeah.
And every time somebody get up that second apron, you can bet your bottom dollar They're going to be trying to trade outta that second April. And so you just saw Luka Dončić get traded at 25.
That's crazy.
That is a byproduct of the second April. Dallas like, man, we gonna have to pay him $85 million a year. All right, he good, he great, but— Ain't no money for nobody else. We like, we about to go into the second April? No, we ain't trying to go into the second April. Right? And so Luka Dončić getting traded and what I have not seen anyone talk about is 1 million percent a byproduct of— Of the cap. Cap situation in the second apron. It is 1,000%. And I don't think people notice or realize that, but you're gonna see more and more trades like that because that second apron, man, That's just a, it's just a nice way of saying a hard cap.
Yeah, it's just a crazy threshold. It puts the team in a bad predicament. Obviously it's incredible for the player, but if you trying to build and you trying to win and your top 2 dudes is taking all the bread, you're not, and you're paying them off potential.
Mm-hmm, yes.
You know, you paying them off of, Hey, over these next 5, we're paying you off of potential. I just think that, you know, that hard cap, and like you saying that second apron, a lot of people are gonna start falling in that second apron, and it's gonna give the team that, like, it's just gonna be so much player movement because people are gonna try to avoid that, and you're gonna lose loyalty. Yeah. From your young superstars. All right, next is the Los Angeles Lakers. Obviously the new look Lakers being here in LA. Luka won't be playing most likely. He won't return until February 8th. Talk about the Lakers as a threat. Talk about the Lakers right now without Luka. You know, they won, I think 4, they went 4-1 without AD. How dangerous are the Lakers, you know, from now and then the next 5 to 10 years?
I mean, now you have LeBron James and Luka Dončić, you're dangerous. Can you figure it out? Can you figure everything out around the defensive side of the ball, losing a rim protector like AD, all of those things? You have to figure those things out. But they got LeBron James and Luka Dončić. They always have a chance to win the game.
Yeah.
For the next 5 to 10 years, I think, You know, they're in a great spot as far as getting a Luka and opposite, complete opposite of what the problem that Utah has is the Lakers can get people to sign there. You know, you can get people to come sign in LA. And so they have the opposite issue of the Utah Jazz when it comes to that. But in saying that, the next 5 to 10 years looks great.— but it all depends on Luka's health. You know, Luka's health will be the driver of what the Lakers look like in the next 5 to 10 years.
Yeah, we need Luka to have one of them Venice Beach bodies. He gotta go out there, you know, and get on Venice Beach. We need, we need Luka with his Muscle Beach body.
