5 Riskiest Trades The Lakers Could Do This Summer https://t.co/UEhsQU54NA
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) August 11, 2024
1. A Major Risk For Injury-Prone Zach LaVine
Lakers Receive:
-Zach LaVine
-2030 First-Round Pick
Bulls Receive:
-D’Angelo Russell
-Jarred Vanderbilt
-Gabe Vincent
-Jalen Hood-Schifino
2. Taking A Gamble For Darius Garland
Lakers Receive:
-Darius Garland
Cavaliers Receive:
-D’Angelo Russell
-Jarred Vanderbilt
-Gabe Vincent
-Jalen Hood-Schifino
-2030 First-Round Pick
3. Shocking Trade For Brandon Ingram
Lakers Receive:
-Brandon Ingram
Pelicans Receive:
-D’Angelo Russell
-Rui Hachimura
-Jalen Hood-Schifino
-2030 First-Round Pick
-2026 First-Round Pick Swap
4. Hoping For A Secondary Successful Reunion
Lakers Receive:
-Kyle Kuzma
Wizards Receive:
-D’Angelo Russell
-Jarred Vanderbilt
5. Taking A Stab For A Change At Center
Lakers Receive:
-Brook Lopez
-Pat Connaughton
-MarJon Beauchamp
-AJ Green
Bucks Receive:
-D’Angelo Russell
-Rui Hachimura
-Jalen Hood-Schifino
At this point, there is a lot to like about each of the above trades. We get a first round pick with LaVine. 1 pick for Garland, 1 pick + 1 swap for Ingram, no pick for Kuzma, no pick for Lopez. Kinds of deals we need despite the risk.
None of these trades improve the team. And there are other problems. Sending 4 guys for one when most of the teams have full rosters isn’t going to fly. Who will these teams cut to make room. The Bucks made it very clear that Brook isn’t on the trade block as did the Cav’s with Garland. I guess the guys at fadeaway world do not follow the NBA. Then there is BI. I like him, but not enough to pay him the 50 mil he wants to extend and not enough to give up both DLO and Rui for. Oh and the Pels just traded for Murray and think they have forward covered, that’s why they are open to trading BI. Why would they trade for DLO and Rui? It’s humorous that the fadeaway guys would think the Wizards would trade Kuzma for no picks. Even if the did Kuzma is not better then the combination of Dlo and Vando. Fadeaway world are notorious click baiters with little thought put into their trade ideas.
Beside LaVine being a cap killer and overpaid for what he brings to the table but that trade leaves us with no point guards, and 12 players. We can’t even add the mandatory 13 player without going into the 2nd apron. Sure, it’s the kind of deal we need to make. lol.
What Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss lack is a vision of what kind of team they want to build. They’re allowing events to control their future, who’s available in draft, free agency, and trade, rather than seeing in their mind exactly which players they need to go after to create the kind of team that could win it all. That is not how you build championship teams.
Boston, on the other hand, had a vision for how to win #18 and went out and got the players to fit that vision. Ironically, almost the same players the Lakers now with JJ Redick are looking for too: shot blocking, floor stretching center and 3-point shooting alpha dog POA point guard. You would think the Lakers would be eyeing Marcus Smart and Brook Lopez.
JJ Redick is the only hope the Lakers have for a visionary. He already has a personal philosophy based on his time in the game that is the most modern and advanced of any Lakers coaching candidate in the past. JJ is a strong believer in new school outside-in basketball, that spacing creates points in the paint vs. the old school inside-out approach that says pounding the paint creates 3-point shooting opportunities.