Lakerholics

With 2 preseason games in the books and 4 to go, the Lakers’ projected starting lineup and 10-man rotation surrounding superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the coming season is slowly starting to take shape.

Darvin Ham has already committed to LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, and D’Angelo Russell as his starters with Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, and Taurean Prince still competing to be fifth starter. Right now, the Lakers plan to start Davis at center despite his desire to play more minutes at power forward. AD will likely start and close games at the five but play the four alongside Wood in the middle of games.

So let’s take a closer look at what the Lakers’ regular season rotation for guards, forwards, and centers is projected to look like based on what we’ve seen in the first two preseason games and heard from the pundits.

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GUARDS…

Outstanding play in the first two games by D’Angelo Russell and last night’s game by Austin Reaves have solidified the Lakers’ starting backcourt with Gabe Vincent as Russell’s backup and Max Christie as Reaves’ backup.

Those four should get most of the backcourt minutes with Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis being the third point guard and shooting guard and two-way shooting guard D’Moi Hodge a candidate for last roster spot. Russell is averaging 14.5/1.0/5.5 in 16.0 mpg shooting 61.1/75.0/100.0% and Reaves 18.0/2.0/2.0 in 20.0 mpg shooting 71.4/66.7/100.0%. Vincent is averaging 6.5/1.0/3.0 in 19.7 mpg and Christie 9.0/2.5/0.5 in 20.6 mpg.

There are 96 total backcourt minutes per game to be shared by these four Lakers guards. A reasonable projection would have Reaves playing 30 minutes, Russell 30 minutes, Gabriel 18 minutes, and Christie 18 minutes.

Starting Point Guard: D’Angelo Russell
Backup Point Guard: Gabe Vincent

Starting Shooting Guard: Austin Reaves
Backup Shooting Guard: Max Christie

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FORWARDS…

By the start of the season, Rui Hachimura should be the Lakers’ starting small forward and LeBron James the starting power forward, with Jarred Vanderbilt backing up Rui and Taurean Prince backing up James.

In addition to these four, Anthony Davis will likely play half of his 32 mpg at power forward, reducing the minutes to be shared by the four forwards. Rui taking over the 5th starter role also gives the Lakers a two-big lineup.
Hachimura is averaging 15.5/6.0/1.0 in 20.5 mpg shooting 50.0/42.9/100.0% and James 10.0/3.0/5.0 in 16.9 mpg shooting 37.5/25.0/75.0%. Vanderbilt is averaging 6.0/7.0/1.0 in 20.9 mpg and Prince 7.5/1.0/0.5 in 20.6 mpg.

If Davis plays 16 minutes as a power forward, that would leave 80 minutes for others. A reasonable projection would have James playing 32 minutes, Hachimura 24 minutes, Vanderbilt 12 minutes, and Prince 12 minutes.

Starting Small Forward: Rui Hachimura
Backup Small Forward: Jarred Vanderbilt

Starting Power Forward: LeBron James
Backup Power Forward: Taurean Prince

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CENTERS…

There seems to be little doubt that Anthony Davis will begin the season starting and closing games and halves at center rather than at his preferred power forward position, with Christian Wood his likely backup center.

The Lakers’ objective is to have Anthony Davis divide his time between center and power forward similar to what they did to win it all in 2020.
If AD plays 32 mpg, assume he will spend 16 of those minutes at center.
So far this season, Davis is averaging 14.0/6.0/0.5 in 13.4 mpg and shooting a spectacular 58.8/50.0/83.3%. Wood is struggling but still averaging 7.5/5.0/0.5 in 20.6 mpg while Hayes is averaging 6.5/4.5/2.0 in 17.8 mpg.

If Davis plays 16 minutes at center, that would leave 32 minutes for Wood and Hayes. Assuming Wood improves after a shaky start, a reasonable projection might have Wood at 20 minutes and Hayes at 12 minutes.

Starting Center: Anthony Davis
Backup Center: Christian Wood
Backup Center: Jaxson Hayes

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DEPTH CHART…

Two-Way Players:
-Colin Castleton (Center)
-D’Moi Hodge (Shooting Guard)
-Alex Fudge (Power Forward)

The Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday trades have made it clear the Los Angeles Lakers will need to upgrade their starting lineup, most likely their backcourt, if they want to legitimately contend for the championship.

While it may be too early or too honest for some fans, the reality is the playing field has changed and it’s no longer just the Nuggets whom the Lakers have to seriously contend with but also the Bucks and Celtics.
When you include the Suns, there are now four teams who have better starting lineups and specifically better backcourts than the Lakers, which all but guarantees they will be forced to make a move at the deadline.

The other reality facing the Lakers is D’Angelo Russell is all but gone as he’s the only way to upgrade the team’s backcourt since Austin Reaves has now essentially become untouchable like LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Because recently signed players cannot be traded until after December 15, the Lakers were unable to pursue Jrue Holiday and will have to wait two and a half months before being able to upgrade their starting backcourt.

Since Austin can play both guard positions, the Lakers will be able to target both point guards and shooting guards and will have seven weeks from December 15, 2023 to the February 8, 2024 trade deadline to make a trade.
With James, Davis, and Reaves untouchable, the pressure to perform will mount on players like Russell, Hachimura, and Prince, who earn enough that the Lakers may need to include them to match salaries in a trade.

Let’s look at why the Lakers need a better starting backcourt, who are their best guard and center trade options to upgrade their starting lineup, and if there’s a realistic scenario where the Lakers don’t have to make a big trade.

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Why Do Lakers Need To Upgrade Their Starting Backcourt?

The Los Angeles Lakers’ backcourt of point guard D’Angelo Russell and shooting guard Austin Reaves cannot match the backcourt star power of the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, or Boston Celtics.

It’s not that Russell and Reaves are not a solid backcourt. Last season, they combined for 32.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 10.3 assists in per game and were both instrumental in helping the Lakers get to the conference finals.
Russell and Reaves’ 32.5/5.3/10.3 per game holds up vs. Murray and KCP’s 30.8/6.7/8.6 but falls short against Beal and Booker’s 61.0/8.4/10.9, Lillard and Middleton’s 47.3/9.0/12.2, or Holiday and Brown’s 45.9/12.0/10.9.

Per the above combined scoring numbers, the Lakers’ backcourt had the firepower to match the Nuggets last season but would have been outscored by 30 ppg vs. the Suns, 16 ppg vs. the Bucks, and 15 ppg vs. the Celtics.
Since Beal, Lillard, and Holiday likely won’t get as many touches and shots on their new teams as on their old teams, the Lakers’ projected negative backcourt scoring deficit won’t be as great as 15 to 30 points per game.

Theoretically, a James and Davis front court could score enough points to match or surpass the 15 to 30 points L.A.’s backcourt would be outscored by the star powered backcourts of the Nuggets, Suns, Bucks, and Celtics.
Winning front court battles with Nikola Jokic of Denver, Kevin Durant of Phoenix, Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee, and Jayson Tatum of Boston will not be a slam-dunk for the Lakers, especially defensively.

In the end, the Dame and Jrue trades have clearly raised the bar for teams who want to be legitimate contenders for the NBA championship and the Lakers will be forced to pursue a blockbuster midseason trade to catch up.

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Who Are Lakers’ Best Options To Upgrade Starting Guards?

The irony of this offseason is that Jrue Holiday was exactly what the Los Angeles Lakers needed to upgrade their starting lineup, an elite offensive point guard who also was the best perimeter defender in the league.

While they missed out on trading for Holiday, the Lakers will need to add more offensive firepower and better point-of-attack defense to their starting backcourt before the trade deadline to be a legitimate contender.
It’s too early to tell which point guards and shooting guards will be on the trade market but the Lakers will certainly be watching how the six guards in the above photo and their teams perform the first half of the season.

The top three players in the photo— Trae Young, Zach LaVine, and Kyrie Irving —are star players with max contracts who would require serious draft capital plus multiple players besides Russell to match salaries.
The bottom three players in the photo — Buddy Hield, Tyler Herro, and Gary Trent, Jr. — are all quality second level stars and probably more reasonable targets who would not require as much draft capital or matching salaries.

As always, opportunity will determine which direction the Lakers will go when December 15 (or January 15 if a specific target won’t be available until then) rolls around. The top six targets could dramatically change. Ultimately, however, the Lakers are going to need another star to replace LeBron James. Hence the interest in Young, LeVine, and Irving. Watching what Pelinka has done so far, I’d bet more on Hield, Herro, or Trent, Jr.

Bottom line, the Lakers should have some excellent options via a mega midseason trade to upgrade their starting backcourt to better matchup against the Nuggets, Suns, Bucks, and Celtics heading into the playoffs.

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Could Lakers Double Down On Size And Trade For Center?

The Lakers could also decide to double down on size and Anthony Davis’ preference to play power forward and upgrade their starting lineup by trading for a legitimate starting quality NBA center rather than a guard.

While the Lakers believe their signing of Christian Wood could give them the perfect stretch 5 big to pair with Anthony Davis in a two-bigs lineup, they also realize there’s almost no way they could afford to re-sign him.
Wood is also more of a four than five, especially on defense. What the Lakers need to play two bigs is a legitimate two-way starting center who can space the court and protect the rim and play with and without AD.

The Lakers will likely be tracking the above four starting center candidates, including Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner, Utah Jazz’ Kelly Olynyk, Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns, and Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid.
The Lakers have long coveted Myles Turner but might be willing to include serious draft capital for him if the deal also included Buddy Hield. That would be exactly the kind of blockbuster deal Pelinka needs to pull off.

Another center the Lakers have long coveted is Kelly Olynyk, whom they would love to add because of his ability to stretch the floor as a big. He’s also attainable since he’s a vet on affordable contract on rebuilding team. Finally, the Lakers would be remiss not to also keep their eye on two max contract modern NBA centers who could find themselves on the trade block in the Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns and 76ers’ Joel Embiid.

While the Lakers top priority would be to upgrade their backcourt scoring and point-of-attack defense, there’s a chance they could change course and look to upgrade their starting lineup by trading for a new starting center.

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Is There Scenario Where Lakers Don’t Have To Make Trade?

What every Lakers fan who loves this roster and its upside wants to know is whether there’s a way the Lakers could upgrade the roster to championship level without having to make a blockbuster move at the trade deadline?

The answer to that question is yes, there is a possible scenario where the Lakers get an unexpected big boost early in the season by striking gold with some of their promising young players and low risk, high profile projects. Imagine if Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura can parlay their great playoffs and new contracts into candidates for MIP or if Christian Wood and Cam Reddish can redeem their brands like Malik Monk and Lonnie Walker did.

A big part of Rob Pelinka and Darvin Ham’ vision for the Lakers is to be a player development driven organization. They’ve put together the perfect roster for a coaching staff with a strong player development background. Their success in helping young players with experience who haven’t been able to break out like Monk, Walker, and Schroder redeem their games and brands has made the Lakers the mecca for low risk, high reward projects.

The good news is the Lakers will have at minimum two and a half months of play until December 15th before they can make a trade and over four months to make a final decision before the February 8th trade deadline. The Lakers also have two games scheduled against the Nuggets, three against the Suns, two against the Celtics, and none against the Bucks before the trade deadline so they should also have an idea of how they matchup.

While L.A.’s young players will grow and develop into a better team, the Lakers are in full win-now mode now so will need a mega midseason trade to beat Denver, Phoenix, Milwaukee, or Boston for the NBA championship.

While they can’t trade for Jrue Holiday until December 15, the Los Angeles Lakers should consider letting Blazers’ general manager Joe Cronin know what they would be willing to give up for Jrue if Portland were to wait.

The grand prize the Lakers could give the Blazers for waiting to trade Holiday would be their unprotected 2029 first round pick sandwiched between two pick swaps, the same draft capital they received for Dame.
While a half dozen contending teams are interested in trading for Holiday, the Blazers are reportedly seeking at least two first round picks for him. There’s a good chance the Lakers’ offer could be the best the Blazers get.

An unprotected Lakers post-LeBron first round pick is the gold standard for draft capital due to its top-5 potential and the Trailblazers could essentially end up with three of those picks for just waiting two and a half months.
By publicizing their potential offer, the Lakers could establish a market for Jrue Holiday that no other team could be willing or able to match. At worst, the offer would help the Blazers get for more for trading Jrue Holiday.

With Damian Lillard teaming up with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kris Middleton and Bradley Beal joining Kevin Durant and Kevin Booker, the Lakers likely need to add a third superstar before the deadline to keep up.
Trading for Jrue Holiday to create a Lakers big three with LeBron James and Anthony Davis would immediately catapult the Lakers into the NBA’s latest championship favorites tier along with Bucks, Suns, and Nuggets.

Let’s look at the proposed Jrue Holiday trade and why it’s a win-win for both the Lakers and Blazers, the team’s post-trade depth chart and rotation, and the team’s post-trade salary cap and the impact of a Jrue Holiday extension.

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Jrue Holiday Trade

There’s no available player who’s a better fit for what the Lakers need right now to complement LeBron and AD than Jrue Holiday, who’s 33-years old but has played the best basketball of his career the last three seasons.

But make no mistake, the unprotected 2029 pick and 2028 and 2030 pick swaps the Lakers would give up for 33-year old Jrue Holiday are the draft capital Los Angeles has been saving to replace 38-year old LeBron James. Strategically, the Lakers would not invest the draft capital to trade for Holiday unless they were essentially also willing to re-sign him long term as their third superstar and potential replacement for LeBron James.

Jrue Holiday would give the Lakers the best 3&D point guard in the league, Last year, he averaged 19.3 points, 5.1 boards, 7.4 assists, 1.6 stocks in 32.6 mpg shooting 47.9% from field, 38.4% from deep, and 85.9% from line. Holiday’s last three seasons with the Bucks have been the best of his career and have given him an opportunity to show why he is the best two-way point guard in the league today and worth the investment despite his age.

While playing in Milwaukee the last three seasons, Jrue Holiday averaged 18.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.9 stocks in 32.5 mpg while shooting 49.4% from the field, 39.5% from deep, and 80.2% from the line. Defensively, Jrue made the NBA All-Defensive Team each of the last three years. He made All-Defensive 1st Team in 2023 and 2021 and All-Defensive 2nd Team in 2022. He’s now been 1st Team 3 times and 2nd Team 2 times.

There’s an argument pairing the league’s best frontcourt defender with the league’s best backcourt defender could catapult the Lakers into the catbird’s spot when it comes to winning playoff matchups and championships.

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Post-Trade Rotation

The key to the Jrue Holiday trade being a slam dunk winner from the Los Angeles Lakers’ standpoint is being able to trade for the perfect third star to complement James and Davis without giving up Reaves or Hachimura.

The L.A. Lakers new post-trade starting lineup would boast Jrue Holiday at point guard, Austin Reaves at shooting guard, Rui Hachimura at small forward, LeBron James at power forward, and Anthony Davis at center.
While Holiday has not had a great playoff record, there’s no question he would be a game-changing upgrade at point guard over D’Angelo Russell at both ends, especially defensively with his elite point-of-attack prowess.

The Lakers’ primary backups at each position would include Max Christie at point guard, Cam Reddish at shooting guard, Jarred Vanderbilt at small forward, Christian Wood at power forward, and Jaxson Hayes at center. Trading Vincent and Prince would cost the Lakers two proven primary backups but would fortunately also open needed rotation opportunities for Reddish and Hayes, two low risk, high reward players with real potential.

Since the Laker traded three players for Jrue Holiday, they would have an active roster with only twelve players, leaving three open roster spots that could be filled by signing free agents or by promoting two-way players.
Austin Reaves would probably fill the role of backup point guard as well as starting shooting guard but the Lakers could easily look to promote both D’Moi Hodge or Colin Castleton should they have a strong preseasons.

While trading for Holiday could backfire and end up costing the Lakers the draft capital they need to replace James, it also has the potential to bring home at least one and maybe two or three additional NBA championships.

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Post-Trade Salary Cap

There’s no way the Lakers would give up an unprotected first round pick and surrounding pick swaps for Jrue Holiday without tentatively agreeing upon a contract extension to sign and lock him up for three more years.

The above chart lays out the Lakers’ salary cap commitments for the next five years but does not include extensions for LeBron James or Jrue Holiday so the question is what happens should the Lakers extend both players?
Under the new CBA, there are competitive advantages to stay under the $172 million 1st tax apron and $182.5 million 2nd tax apron, which are both projected to increase 10% each season like the $136 million salary cap.

The above chart clearly shows the Lakers would still be able to stay below the 1st and 2nd tax aprons in 2023–24 and 2024–25 if James and Holiday declined their player options and signed extensions to start in 2025–26? Because of the expected 10% cap smoothing built into the new CBA due to the NBA’s new TV contracts, the Lakers should have more than $100 million available from 2025–26 on to cover increased pay for James and Holiday.

When you combine how rapidly the salary cap and tax aprons will grow with the team friendly contracts Rob Pelinka and his team have negotiated, the Lakers are poised to win now and after LeBron’s eventual retirement. Trading for Holiday should not only give LeBron motivation to sign an extension to play two more years with the Lakers but also a realistic shot at winning one or two more championships before he eventually retires.

Trading their unprotected 2029 pick and two pick swaps for 33-year old Jrue Holiday would be a gamble but Holiday is the proven elite two-way veteran point guard the Lakers need to transform this young team to champions.

The new and improved version of the Los Angeles Lakers start training camp with 6 players potentially competing for the 2 remaining starting positions alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves.

Gabe Vincent with his superior defense and better playoff performance should win the Lakers’ starting point guard job over lame duck D’Angelo Russell, who will almost certainly be moved before the trade deadline. Unless Reaves fails his early season audition to become the team’s next starting point guard, there’s no way the Lakers go into the playoffs next June with Dlo at point. Lakers will finish season with new point guard.

That leaves Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, and Christian Wood as the 4 players who’ll be competing to be the Lakers’ fifth starter next to LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, and Gabe Vincent.
Each potential fifth starter has their strengths. Vanderbilt would give the Lakers their best defensive lineup, Wood their best offensive lineup, Hayes their biggest front court, and Hachimura their most versatile fivesome.

Looming over the intense competition to start is newly extended superstar Anthony Davis’ continued preference to play power forward and renewed request not to play as many minutes at center this season as the last two. While Anthony Davis wants to play the four, LeBron James likely needs to play the four, which is why the Lakers are also considering two starting lineups where James plays the four and two where Davis plays the four.

There’s also competition within the competition as Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura fight to be the starting small forward while Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood battle to win the starting and backup center jobs. Training camp and preseason will ultimately determine whether the Lakers open the season with a traditional starting lineup with Vanderbilt or Hachimura or a two-bigs starting lineup with Hayes or Wood at the five.

While the Lakers are likely to start the season with either Vanderbilt or Hachimura as the fifth starter, there will be constant pressure during the season to give Hayes and/or Wood their inevitable opportunity to start.
It’s entirely possible that we will see a progression where the Lakers start the season with Vanderbilt as the fifth starter, then change to Hachimura, then change to Hayes, and finally ending with Wood as the fifth starter.

So let’s take a deeper dive into the pros and cons of the four possible championship-caliber Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineups featuring Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, or Christian Wood.

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1. The ‘Jarred Vanderbilt’ Starting Lineup

The ‘Jarred Vanderbilt’ starting lineup with Vincent, Reaves, Vanderbilt, James, and Davis should be the Lakers’ strongest defensive lineup as it includes the best defender at every one of the five positions on the team.

Gabe Vincent at point guard, Austin Reaves at shooting guard, Jarred Vanderbilt at small forward, LeBron James at power forward, and Anthony Davis at center are each the best defender on the team at their position. Darvin Ham is a defense first coach so it’s not a stretch to imagine him deciding to start his best defensive team and to give Jarred Vanderbilt the opportunity to improve his offense performance and remain a starter.

Vanderbilt was a major factor in the Lakers post trade deadline finish to make the playoffs and was rewarded with a 4-year $48 million extension despite struggling to stay on the court in the playoffs due to his offense. The Lakers had Vando working 1–on-1 with Phil Handy all summer to improve his 3-point shot and back-to-the-basket game. He apparently has also grown taller over the last summer and now claims to be 6′ 11.”

How the additional height affects his game offensively and defensively will be one of the top stories in camp. If Vando can raise his 3-point shooting from 30% to 36%, he could easily lock up the starting small forward job.
The Lakers and Vanderbilt were smart to wait to sign the extension so he would not be eligible to be traded until next summer. That gives Vando and the Lakers more time for him to work on his offense and overall game.

Having said that, if the Lakers do give Vanderbilt an opportunity to start, he’ll likely also be on a short leash because they have three other possible championship-caliber starting lineups to whom they could quickly turn.

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2. The ‘Rui Hachimura’ Starting Lineup

The ‘Rui Hachimura’ starting lineup with Vincent, Reaves, Hachimura, James, and Davis is the favorite to start the season as it gives the Lakers needed size and shooting but also allows LeBron to play power forward.

After showing he was capable of banging bodies with Nikola Jokic in the Western Conference Finals, Hachimura has worked hard on slimming down in anticipation of playing more small forward the coming season.
At 6′ 8″ with a 7′ 2″ wingspan, Rui has the versatility to play down or up a position. In the playoffs, he showed he could play up and bang bodies with a five as well as play down and guard smaller and quicker wing threes.

Critically, Rui playing the three allows LeBron to play power forward, which is the position he is best suited to defend at this point in his career. The last thing the Lakers want is LeBron chasing wings around screens. Starting Hachimura is also a more versatile and innovative way for the Lakers to play two-bigs. While Rui’s best as a four, he can play down to three or up to five. Rui, LeBron, and Anthony can three, four, or five.

The big question is which Rui Hachimura will the Lakers see this season? Will it be the player they traded for who had an excellent finish to the regular season or the player emerged as a potential star in the playoffs?
The answer is probably somewhere in the middle but with untapped upside as Darvin Ham, Phil Handy, and this young Lakers’ coaching staff seems to have a talent for figuring out how to grow and develop young players.

Right now, Rui Hachimura is the poster child for the great success the Lakers’ young coaching staff has had in turning around project players. If Rui gets a chance to start, he could easily turn it into his permanent job.

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3. The ‘Jaxson Hayes’ Starting Lineup

The ‘Jaxson Hayes’ starting lineup with Vincent, Reaves, James, Davis, and Hayes would give the Lakers’ their biggest front court with Haves at the five and Davis at the four but would require James to play and defend the three.

While it’s easier for the Lakers to start Vanderbilt or Hachimura, players from last season’s team who could allow James to not have to play the three, pressure will ultimately grow to start two bigs so Davis can play the four. Before they even had an opportunity to sign Christian Wood, the Lakers had penciled in Jaxson Hayes as the likely starting center in a two-bigs lineup that allowed Anthony Davis to play his preferred power forward.

There’s a good argument that Jaxson Hayes is the better candidate to start next to Anthony Davis in a Lakers’ two-bigs lineup than Christian Wood because Darvin Ham would prefer his defense over the latter’s offense.
Just as Christian Wood is insurance against Anthony Davis getting injured, he’s also better suited to be AD’s backup than Jaxson Hayes, who does not have the offensive chops to score at all three levels like Wood can do.

Jaxson Hayes is viewed by the Lakers as a traditional defensive oriented center like Dwight Howard or JaVale McGee, which essentially makes him the perfect candidate to fill the same regular season role they each filled. Late last season, the Lakers suddenly saw a sea change in how the team performs when one of their superstars rests. For the first time, they lost the minutes Anthony Davis rested but not the minutes LeBron James rested.

Starting Jaxson Hayes would not only allow Anthony Davis to play his preferred power forward position but also allow Christian Wood to come off the bench and give the Lakers an able replacement when AD rests.

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4. The ‘Christian Wood’ Starting Lineup

The ‘Christian Wood’ starting lineup with Vincent, Reaves, James, Davis, and Wood should be the Lakers’ strongest offensive lineup as it includes the best shooters and scorers at every one of the five positions on the team.

Ultimately, this could be the Lakers most dangerous starting lineup as it would boast both dominating size with a Wood, Davis, and James front court and high volume 3-point shooting with Vincent, Reaves, and Wood. While Wood is the perfect backup for Davis, there’s also a good argument his greatest value could be playing alongside Anthony Davis because of his ability to complement him by spacing the court to free him to attack.

Christian Wood at the five and Anthony Davis at the four would give the Lakers one of the most versatile and dangerous front court duos in the league with two players who can both score and defend at all three levels. Wood will have to prove he can pay attention to defense and become a team-first player who fits the Lakers culture and personality. Once he does that and earns Ham’s trust, he will quickly become the Lakers fifth starter.

Wood is in many ways the perfect fit to play both with and without Davis. Since the Lakers signed him to a 1+1 contract with a second year player option, the the NT MLE would be their only chance at re-signing him. There may come a time this season when the Lakers will regret not trading Jalen Hood-Schifino or Maxwell Lewis to the Mavericks for Christian Wood just so they would have gotten his Bird rights so they could re-sign him.

While it may take time for him to become acclimated to playing defense, a ‘Christian Wood’ starting lineup with Wood and Davis as the two stud bigs should ultimately become the Lakers’ preferred fivesome to start games.

Heading into camp as one of a half dozen teams with a good shot to win this season’s NBA championship, the Lakers are perfectly positioned for one last big trade at the deadline to make them championship favorites.

With one of the deepest and most diverse rosters in the league, the Los Angeles Lakers may not need to pull off a big midseason trade to compete for a championship if most of their offseason moves work out positively.
But that doesn’t mean the Lakers won’t be aggressive and try to make one last mega trade if they sense an opportunity to dramatically upgrade their starters and become the odds-on favorites to win their 18th championship.

For all intents and purposes, Rob Pelinka has committed the Lakers to surrounding LeBron James and Anthony Davis with a deep and diverse roster rather than using their salary cap to pay a third max superstar.
That means the Lakers will not be looking to trade for a third superstar during the season. Instead, they will be looking to trade Russell and maybe Hachimura for two better starters or just Russell for one better starter.

As it’s impossible to predict what the actual market value at the trade deadline will be for the players included in trades proposed in this article, I’ve not included any draft compensation in the actual trade proposals.
The max the Lakers could reasonably offer as draft compensation would be their 2029 first round pick, protected or unprotected, plus first round pick swaps for 2028 and 2030, which is essentially the equivalent of three picks.

The draft compensation the Lakers would have to offer in the proposed trades would obviously depend on how the players being traded performed up until the trade. One major factor will be how well Rui Hachimura plays.
If Rui starts and plays very well, the Lakers would then likely limit any trade to include just D’Angelo Russell and draft capital, hoping to swap that package for one of Turner, Hield, Anunoby, Trent, Isaac or Harris.

Here are the three proposed midseason trades Rob Pelinka could pursue after January 15, 2024 and before the trade deadline to elevate the Los Angeles Lakers to be the favorites to win the 2024 NBA Championship.

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1. Myles Turner and Buddy Hield

The first midseason trade proposal involves the Lakers sending D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Taurean Prince, and draft capital to the Indiana Pacers for veteran center Myles Turner and shooting guard Buddy Hield.

That would give the Lakers a dramatically upgraded starting lineup of Reaves, Hield, James, Davis, and Turner backed up by Vincent, Christie, Reddish, Vanderbilt,and Wood. That’s an NBA championship roster.

The Lakers have long coveted Turner and Hield and there should be no question that adding them to Los Angeles’ starting lineup would make the Lakers the odd-on favorites to win their 18th NBA championship.

Myles Turner has long been seen as the perfect center to enable Anthony Davis to play his preferred power forward positions. His 2.0 blocks and steals per game shines as does his 37.2% shooting on 4.0 3’s per game. Buddy Hield’s 42.5% 3-point shooting on 8.5 attempts per game is the high volume, high percentage long range shooter James and Davis desperately needed to create more spacing and open up driving lanes to attack the rim.

The key to the Lakers pulling off this trade will likely be the draft capital included. The Pacers would probably ask for the Lakers 2029 pick with minimal protection and first round pick swaps for 2028 and 2030.

Here are some video highlights from Myles Turner and Buddy Hield from last season. They both provide the Lakers with enhanced shooting, size, and defense to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

What’s always prevented the Lakers from reaching agreement on a Turner and Hield trade was never the fit of either player next to LeBron and AD. It was always whether the rest of the roster was good enough to win it all.

That, in a nutshell, is why Myles Turner and Buddy Hield are the perfect targets for one last big trade to elevate the Los Angeles Lakers from just championship contender to favorites to win their 18th NBA championship.
Turner and Hield’s 3-point shooting gives the Lakers’ offense the needed spacing while Turner’s rim protection elevates the defense to an entirely new level and allows Anthony Davis to play his preferred power forward.

Pulling the trigger on a Myles Turner and Buddy Hield trade should be the Los Angeles Lakers’ top priority at this season’s trade deadline. Myles and Buddy are perfect fits to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

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2. OG. Anunoby and Gary Trent, Jr.

The second midseason trade proposal involves the Lakers sending D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Taurean Prince, and draft capital to the Toronto Raptors for veteran wing O.G. Anunoby and shooting guard Gary Trent, Jr.

That would give the Lakers a dramatically upgraded starting lineup of Reaves, Trent, Anunoby, James, and Davis backed up by Vincent, Christie, Reddish, Vanderbilt,and Wood. That too is an NBA championship roster.

The Lakers have long coveted Anunoby and Trent, Jr. and there should be no question that adding them to Los Angeles’ starting lineup would make the Lakers the odd-on favorites to win their 18th NBA championship.

O.G. Anunoby has long been viewed as the bigger 3&D wing the Lakers desperately need to guard the bigger shooting guards and small forwards in the West. Besides 2.6 stocks per game, he shot 38.7% on 5.5 3’s per game.
Trent Jr. is also a perfect fit on the Lakers as he is an excellent defender and shot 36.9% on 6.8 threes per game. Together, Anunoby and Trent, Jr. could transform the Lakers into a top-10 3-point shooting team in the league.

The key to the Lakers pulling off this trade will again be the draft capital included. The Raptors would probably ask for the Lakers 2029 pick with minimal protection and first round pick swaps for 2028 and 2030.

Here are some video highlights from O.G. Anunoby and Gary Trent, Jr. from last season. Both are excellent defenders as well as dead eye 3-point shooters who will improve the Lakers at both ends of the court.

https://youtu.be/Czan88sqvLA

One the positives of trading for Anunoby and Trent, Jr. is that Anunoby, as an elite 3&D small forward, allows LeBron James to play power forward instead of small forward, where he would have to defend quicker wings.

The Lakers problem is what do you do when Anthony Davis wants to play power forward but LeBron James needs to play power forward? Having an all-star starting 3&D small forward like Anunoby simplifies everything. Davis can start and close games at center but play power forward half the time as the Lakers finally have multiple other players who can play center including Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood as well as Rui Hachimura.

Pulling off a mega trade for Anunoby and Trent, Jr. should be the Lakers second highest priority in a midseason trade. O.G. and Gary would give the Lakers’ starting lineup a needed boost in 3-point shooting and defense.

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3. Jonathan Isaac and Gary Harris

The third midseason trade proposal involves the Lakers sending D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and draft capital to the Orlando Magic for now healthy power forward Jonathan Isaac and shooting guard Gary Harris.

Adding Isaac and Harris to the Lakers starting lineup doesn’t have the immediate satisfaction of fit as adding Turner and Hield or Anunoby and Trent, Jr. do because of Jonathan’s last three injury-riddled seasons.

Isaac gave the NBA an 11-game preview of what looks like a star. If he can stay healthy, the 25-year old Isaac could give the Lakers either a long-term version of Christian Wood or younger, cheaper version of Anthony Davis. While the 29-year old Harris only played 48 games last year, he enjoyed the best 3-point shooting season of his 10 year career, making 2.0 out of 4.5 threes attempted per game for 43.1% while also playing solid defense.

Unlike the trades with the Pacers and Raptors, the Lakers may not have to include a first round pick to go with Dlo’s expiring contract and Rui’s 4-year deal. They may be able to get by with a pair of seconds as draft capital.

Here are some video highlights from Jonathan Isaac and Gary Harris from last season. Both are excellent defenders as well as dead eye 3-point shooters who will improve the Lakers at both ends of the court.

While trading for him would be a huge gamble, a healthy Jonathan Isaac would unquestionably be the single best player of the six players whom the Lakers would receive in any of the three trades discussed in this article.

The Lakers would certainly want their own physician’s to review Isaac’s medical records and exam him personally, but the opportunity to acquire him without giving up much in the form of draft capital is intoxicating. Make no mistake that health is the only issue here because a healthy Isaac could actually be better than Turner, Hield, Anunoby, Trent, Jr., or Harris. He’s the one out of the six who has real star potential if he can stay healthy.

If they can’t trade with the Pacers or Raptors, the Lakers should consider trading for Jonathan Isaac and Gary Harris. A healthy Isaac would be great insurance for Anthony Davis and possible replacement for LeBron James.