Danny Green: Lakers Veterans May Skip Beginning of the Season if Starts in December

Lakers guard Danny Green expects LeBron and other veterans to miss start of the season if the NBA tips off in December.

Lakers guard Danny Green said to The Ringer NBA Show podcast on Monday that he doesn't expect to see many veterans at the start of the season if the NBA does tipoff on Dec. 22.

"If we start in December, I think most guys [are like], 'I'm not going to be there,'" Green said. "If I had to guess, because we have a lot of vets on our team, it's not like we have a lot of young guys or rookies ... to have that quick of a restart, I wouldn't expect to see [LeBron] there. I wouldn't expect to see him probably for the first month of the season. He'll probably be working out with us ... but I just don't expect guys to want to be there, or show up willingly.

"I think at this moment, and it might be different in two weeks when guys are like, 'All right, I'm gonna get back in the gym, start working out.' When we get back in the gym, it's not right to basketball. It's, 'All right, let me start getting into shape'—lifting a little bit, start running around a little bit. Then I'll pick up a ball."

The NBA proposed a pre-Christmas start date with 72 game regular-season schedule for the 2021 campaign last Friday during the league's board of governors call. ESPN reported that the NBA and NBPA have set Oct. 30 as the deadline to finish discussions.  

According to ESPN, other changes for the upcoming season include the possibility of no All-Star Game or All-Star Weekend as well as a potential play-in tournament. Additionally, a source told ESPN that the NBA is considering a two-week break midseason.

Given that the Lakers just won the NBA Championship on Oct. 11, the team would only have a two month offseason. Usually, the offseason is roughly 140 days.

As Green highlighted on the podcast, the Lakers are predominantly veterans. Dwight Howard, 34, just completed his 16th season, while Rajon Rondo, 34, has played 15 years. This season was the 11th for Green, 33. James, 35, has made it to the Finals 10 times in his 17-year career.

While James has not made a comment about the league's plan for the upcoming season, other Lakers players have voiced similar concerns as Green. 

Jared Dudley, 35, became a free agent after winning a ring with the Lakers and took to Twitter Monday to express his thoughts on the proposed NBA tip-off. 

The show will go on, just don’t cry a river when stars sit out TV games... esp Top teams that played a longer full season ... https://t.co/sCw5NmhBLp

— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) October 26, 2020

He warned fans not to cry if star players sit out more than expected.