Lakerholics

The Lakers have only won two of the seven games they’ve played since Anthony Davis injured his foot against Denver on December 16, leaving them at 14–21 with 10 games before AD’s earliest possible return.

Frankly, unless the Lakers immediately make a move to add desperately needed size, shooting, and defense in the front court, there is little chance they’ll be close enough at the trade deadline to still make the playoffs.
The numbers are daunting. The Lakers are 7 games under .500 now and need to be .500 by the deadline to have enough time to make the playoffs, which means winning at least 14 of the 20 games before February 9th.

There are two moves the Lakers could make right now to land a starting quality center to fill in and backup AD when he returns and new starting and backup 3&D wings to upsize and upgrade the small forward position.
The cost for making these moves would include the expiring contracts of Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, and Damian Jones plus the Lakers 2027 first round pick, with protection if the pick ends being a top-10 pick.

By making these two trades, the Lakers should be able to win enough games to survive the loss of Anthony Davis and keep their hopes of winning their 18th NBA championship alive while still building for the future.

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1. Trade for Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross

While Thomas Bryant has done a good job filling in for AD offensively, the Lakers desperately need an immediate trade for size and defense at center and small forward positions if they hope to survive until the trade deadline.

Trading for Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross would give the Lakers two young legitimate starter quality players who can shoot the three and defend their positions to help the team whether the storm until Anthony Davis returns.
Most importantly, the Magic trade would only cost the Lakers three players in Beverley, Nunn, and Jones who had not lived up to expectations and were not needed and a first round draft pick but with top-10 protections.

Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross add size, shooting, and defense. The 24-year old, 7′ 0″, 230 lbs Bamba is shooting 38.7% on 3.0 3PA per game. He is also blocking 1.0 shots and making 0.3 steals in just 19.0 minutes per game.
The 31-year old, 6′ 6″, 206 lbs. Ross has split his time between shooting guard and small forward and is shooting 34.9% on 4.0 3PA per game while playing solid team defense. Lakers are suddenly bigger and better.

By trading for Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross, the Lakers dramatically upgrade their starting lineup with size, shooting, and defense to help the team survive until Anthony Davis is returns from his foot injury.

Mo Bamba, CE, 24 years old, 7′ 0″ 231 lbs
8.1/5.4/1.0/1.0/0.3 on 5.9/3.0/1.5 shots for 50.0%/38.4%/68.2%

Terrence Ross, SF, 31 years old, 6′ 6″ 206 lbs
8.0/2.0/1.3 on 7.5/4.0/0.5 shots for 41.7%/34.9%/70.6%

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2. Trade for Cam Reddish

The second trade the Lakers should make is to trade Lonnie Walker IV, whom the Lakers will likely lose to free agency because they do not have his Bird rights, for Cam Reddish, who fortunately has his Bird rights.

The trade is a win for both the Knicks and the Lakers. The Lakers get a 23-year old 3&D wing who was a lottery pick and shows promise both as a 3-point shooter and as a wing defender. The Lakers get size and defense.
The Knicks get a young shooting guard enjoying a breakout season, whom they can extend after trading for him or sign with cap space this summer. Either way, the Knicks get a rising young star for a player they didn’t want.

In many ways, Reddish would likely start as the backup small forward behind veteran Terrence Ross. Because Reddish will become a free agent this summer, the Lakers need to extend or re-sign him with Bird rights.
The purpose of this trade is to get rid of a guard who did not have Bird rights and could not be re-signed for a forward with Bird rights who could be re-signed. Lakers choose not to lose Walker for nothing like Monk.

Trading Lonnie Walker IV for Cam Reddish is a win-win move for the Lakers and the Knicks. Both teams should be thrilled to get a talented young player who fits their needs and whom they could easily re-sign.

Cam Reddish, SF, 23-years old, 6′ 8″ 217 lbs
8.4/1.6/1.0 on 6.8/2.8/1.7 shots for 44.9%/30.4%/87.9%

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3. The Depth Chart

The net impact of the trades is the Lakers trade Walker, Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and their 2027 first round draft pick with top-10 protection for three quality rotation players in Mo Bamba, Terrence Ross, and Cam Reddish.

The two trades not only give the Lakers a starting quality center in Bamba to fill in for the injured Anthony Davis and then back him up when he returns but also starting and backup 3&D wings to play small forward.
Until Davis returns, which hopefully will be in mid-January, Bamba can be the Lakers’ starting center with Ross as the team’s starting small forward. That should be a dramatic upgrade of the starting lineup until AD returns.

Once Davis comes back, the Lakers will have the versatility to play Bamba and Davis together in a two-big jumbo lineup or go super small on steroids with AD at the five, James at the four, and Ross or Reddish at the three.
One huge advantage of adding Bamba is the Lakers will be able to stagger his minutes with Anthony Davis so they will have an elite rim protector and shot blocker at center on the court for all 48 minutes of every game.

Trading for Bamba, Ross, and Reddish adds critical size, shooting, and defense to the Lakers’ starting lineup and 10-man rotation while only costing expiring contracts and a top-10 protected first round pick.

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3. The Trade Deadline

While Mo Bamba, Terrence Ross, and Cam Reddish would be excellent fits for what the Lakers need and quality upgrades to add depth to the roster, none of them fill the Lakers need for a third star to help carry the team.

If trading for Mamba, Ross, and Reddish keeps the season alive, the Lakers must go-all in at the deadline and trade Westbrook and their remaining first round pick to get a needed third star or multiple elite rotation players.
While the Lakers would love to get a chance to trade for a LaVine or Beal, they’d be better off if they were able to trade Westbrook and the 2029 to the Toronto Raptors for a package of VanVleet, Trent, Jr., and Boucher.

The trade landscape could dramatically change over the six weeks between today and February 9, 2023. Buyers may suddenly become sellers and players who were thought to be untouchable may become available.
If the Lakers are going to win, they must always be looking to get better and be in perpetual team building mode. Every move just has to fit in a long-term template or formula that balances size, shooting, and defense.

Finally, the Lakers need to accept trading Westbrook and the pick will give them a shot at winning a championship and leave them with a better roster than if they kept Russ and used $35 million in cap space to sign free agents.

Without Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers have now lost four straight games and fallen to 13th in the West at 13–20, 3.0 games out of 10th and the Play-In Tournament and 5.0 games out of 6th and guaranteed playoffs.

The good news is the West is wide open, LeBron James is playing dominant basketball, and Anthony Davis appears to have dodged a major injury and could be back on court to resume his MVP/DPOY campaign mid-January. 
The bad news is recent reports say the Lakers’ front office is now leaning to not trading either of the team’s two available draft picks unless the deeply flawed team they created can somehow show again they’re worth backing.

Enough is enough. It’s one thing to screw up and make a dumb trade for Russell Westbrook, a move that basically locked the Lakers into a financial straight jacket they haven’t been smart or proactive enough to get out of. 
But then to claim that now they’re not going to do anything more because they’re afraid of compounding previous mistakes with win-now moves? That’s a totally self-serving and strategically stupid position to take.

The solution is just to be smart about what you get back for Westbrook, Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and the two first round draft picks. That should be enough to bring back at least four legitimate starters or rotation players. 
Those four players should include a starting and backup 3&D wing to play small forward, a backup rim protecting center to start now and backup AD when he returns, and a bigger 3&D point guard to replace Westbrook.

Add those four new players to a six-player nucleus from the current roster of James, Davis, Reaves, Bryant, Schröder, and Christie and you have a stronger and deeper Lakers’ 10-man rotation that could be a contender.

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Time for LeBron and AD to Demand Action?

The time has come for LeBron James and Anthony Davis to show Lakers’ owner Jeanie Buss and VPBO Rob Pelinka that it’s the superstars, not the owners or genera managers, who hold the real reins of power in the NBA. 

James and Davis need to remind Pelinka and Buss they’ll be free agents at the end of next season and, if the Lakers expect to re-sign them, they need to trade Westbrook and the picks now to give this roster a chance to win.
Failing to take advantage of how wide open the Western Conference is this season and how dominant both James and Davis have been when healthy despite the terribly constructed roster and would be a major mistake. 

The Lakers’ problem is not that there aren’t legitimate starters or rotation players they could trade for. It’s that there aren’t any ‘superstars’ available to trade for. Pelinka’s great fear of missing a big trade has paralyzed him. 
The result has been the easy decision to do nothing as the team loses more games and the hole they’re going to have to dig their way out of gets deeper and deeper. We’ve reached a point where only James and Davis can save us.

The front office would argue that James and Davis are the reason why the Lakers are in the situation they are, because they foolishly championed trading for Russell Westbrook and need to accept their share of blame.
While James and Davis do deserve some blame for Westbrook, it’s Rob Pelinka’s job as general manger to make the decision to trade for Russell Westbrook and Jeanie Buss’ job as owner to officially approve the move.

In the end, we’re reached the point where nobody but LeBron James and Anthony Davis can save this season. The Lakers superstars need to flex their power and force Rob Pelinka to trade Westbrook and the picks.

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Which Trade Targets Are Good Fits?

The Lakers should split their two picks up, using one pick to facilitate a Westbrook trade and the other to facilitate a Beverley, Nunn, and Jones trade. Ideally, the Lakers need to bring back at least four rotation payers.

Those four new Lakers players should include at least two new starters, a bigger 3&D wing to start at small forward and a point guard who can shoot the three, attack the rim, and distribute the ball without turning it over.
Starting small forward candidates include Bojan Bogdanovic, Kyle Kuzma, O.G. Anunoby, Eric Gordon, and DeMar DeRozan. Starting point guard candidates are Terry Rozier, Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, and Fred VanVleet.

The Lakers also need a backup center who can start until Anthony Davis returns and then provide rim protection when AD is not in the game, and a backup 3&D small forward to give them two new defenders with size. 
Backup center candidates are Myles Turner, Mo Bamba, Jakob Poeltl, and Kristaps Porzingis. Backup small forward candidates are Cam Reddish, Doug McDermott, Saddiq Bey, Terrence Ross, and Otto Porter, Jr.

The key to saving the season is not just making trades but making smart trades. The Lakers must start with the principle they’re not going to give up a first round draft pick for any player(s) who aren’t good long-term fits.
That means only acquiring players who give us size, shooting, and defense and only accepting contracts that represent fair value and can be traded. The right package of players could transform the Lakers into contenders.

Team building about the draft, free agency, and trades. The Lakers did as good a job in the draft and free agency as was possible but we’ve always known the Lakers couldn’t build a winning team without trading Russ.

The best trade the Los Angeles Lakers could make right now to keep this season alive would be swapping Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, and Damian Jones to the Orlando Magic for Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross.

Not only would the trade give the Lakers a 3&D wing to start at small forward but also a floor stretching, rim protecting center to replace Anthony Davis in the short term and back him up when he returns.
With Ross starting at small forward and Bamba at center, the Lakers suddenly would add desperately needed size and shooting. The 7′ 0″ Mo Bamba shoots 39.0% while the 6′ 6″ Ross shoots 40.9% from deep.

Trading for Bamba and Ross filled both of the Lakers’ primary rotation holes. In fact, there may not be another trade that could net the Lakers a starting small forward and reserve center to fill in and then backup AD.

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Why Bamba and Ross?

The Lakers’ plan is to trade Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and a protected first round pick for a player(s) with a combined salary of around $20 million per year who can provide them with needed size, shooting, and defense.

The Lakers have long coveted Indiana Pacers’ center Myles Turner, who is on an expiring $18.0 million contract. Trading for Turner would require L.A. to extend Turner, who will likely demand over $20 million per year.
With Anthony Davis finally established as the Lakers’ starting center, the Lakers are unlikely to be willing to pay Turner $20–25 million per year when they’re already paying Anthony Davis $37.9 million per year.

Bamba earns only $10.3 million per year and is locked in a 2-year contract. That means he could fit financially as the Lakers’ backup center and has 2 years left on his contract so does not have to be extended this summer.
Talentwise, Bamba is a probably a poor man’s version of Myles Turner who can stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting and protect the rim with his shot blocking. Ross gives the Lakers a legitimate starting 3&D wing.

The alternative to the Bamba and Ross trade with the Magic is a Poeltl and McDermott trade with the Spurs. Like the Magic trade, the Spurs trade also gives the Lakers an affordable starting small forward and backup center.
Poeltl could be the better defender but his poor free throw shooting makes him a late game liability and eliminates the chance he could evolve into a modern stretch center. McDermott is not as good a 3&D wing as Ross.

In the end, the best package the Lakers can get for Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and a protected pick is Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross. That trade fills the Lakers top two rotation holes and gives them a chance to make the playoffs.

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What’s the Next Step?

The Lakers’ projected depth chart shows that Bamba and Ross are not only excellent fits with Anthony Davis out but also perfect complements once AD returns, giving the Lakers a rim protector for 48 minutes per game.

Moving Austin Reaves to the starting lineup is something Darvin Ham needs to do as soon as possible. Reaves has shown he has the moxie and confidence to hit this threes or attack the paint for floaters or fouls.
Austin is also the only Lakers player besides LeBron James and Anthony Davis to record a positive net rating for the season. LeBron is the Lakers point guard on offense and Reaves is their best perimeter defender.

With Mo Bamba starting at center, the Lakers’ starting lineup would measure 6′ 5′, 6′ 4″, 6′ 6″, 6′ 9″ 7′ 0″. Once Anthony Davis returns from injury, the Lakers’ starting lineup would then measure 6′ 5′, 6′ 4″, 6′ 6″, 6′ 9″ 7′ 0″.
The Lakers mat also play both Davis and Bamba at the same time, since Mo can space the floor from beyond the arc. And Coach Ham will likely stagger Anthony’s and Mo’s minutes to always have a rim protector on the court.

If the Lakers can fill their holes at starting small forward and backup center, then they will still have Russell Westbrook, Lonnie Walker IV, and their 2029 first round draft pick as available trading chips at the deadline.
Theoretically, the Lakers could still make a second bigger trade with Westbrook and the 2029 first round pick, which could bring back two or three better rotation players than the Lakers currently have.

Specific areas the Lakers should be looking to improve by trading Westbrook, Walker IV, and their 2029 pick include starting point guard, size on the wing, and a 20-points per game superstar shooting guard.

Just when it looked like AD’s injury had doomed the Lakers to another losing season, a series of unrelated events suddenly opened the door for a possible deadline trade of Westbrook and picks for a superstar guard.

While we’re still a month and half away from the February 9 trade deadline, it’s now looking more and more like the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, and Washington Wizards are going to become sellers.
That’s exactly what Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers front office have been hoping would happen as the trade deadline got closer and teams had to make the hard decisions whether to become buyers or sellers.

The prospect of Trae Young, Zach LaVine, or Fred VanVleet suddenly becoming available right when the Lakers desperately need a superstar guard alongside James and Davis seems almost too good to be true.
But maybe the Basketball Gods just wanted to see whether the Hawks, Bulls, Raptors, and Wizards truly valued the Lakers’ two unprotected post-LeBron James first round draft picks as guaranteed top-5 picks.

That Trae Young and Zach LaVine are also clients of Rich Paul and the Klutch Sports Group like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kendrick Nunn, Troy Brown, Jr., and Juan Toscano-Anderson clearly favors the Lakers.
There’s no question Rich Paul would like to see Young or LaVine join up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the Lakers and we’re going to see a vigorous campaign to convince Atlanta and Chicago to trade them.

Whether Young, LaVine, or VanVleet end up getting traded to the Lakers will depend on their teams’ decision to be buyers or sellers and how much they value the Lakers two unprotected post-LeBron James draft picks.

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1. Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic Trade

In Atlanta, the 16–16 and 8th seed Hawks continue to struggle in the East. Trae Young could soon be on the trading block as his shooting has been off and he’s had conflicts with John Collins and head coach Nate McMillan.

If the Hawks continue to struggle, they’ll have a tough decision to make. Pairing Trae Young and Dejounte Murray has not solved their need for defense and offensive balance. Their best move may be to trade Young.

The trade would be great for the Lakers as Young and Bogdanovic could slide right into the starting lineup alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Lonnie Walker IV. Trade might give Lakers best starting five in NBA.

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2. Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic Trade

In Chicago, the 13–18 Bulls are considering blowing it up as conflicts have arisen between Zach Lavine and DeMar DeRozan. Word is Klutch Sports is pushing hard to get LaVine out of Chicago and to the Los Angeles Lakers.

While the Lakers and Bulls discussed trading for DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, the better fit for the Lakers is obviously LaVine and Vucevic. If not for Zach’ injury history, this would be Lakers’ top trade.

For the Lakers, Zach LaVine would address their long-term needs for a superstar guard to replace LeBron James while Nikola Vucevic would address their short-term needs for a starting center until AD returns.

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3. Fred VanVleet, O.G. Anunoby, Otto Porter, Jr. Trade

In Toronto, the Raptors are trying to decide whether now is the right time to blow the team up and rebuild around Scottie Barnes. Gary Trent, Jr. could be on the market as well as Fred VanVleet and O.G. Anunoby.

The 14–18 Raptors are currently 10th in the East and are 3–7 in their last 10. If they fall any further back, it’s likely to force them into becoming sellers. Getting two post-LeBron first round picks from Lakers would be a bonus.

For Lakers, VanVleet and Anunoby would move right into the starting lineups with Porter Jr. providing depth off the bench. Trade gives Lakers size, shooting, and defense. Season saving trade if it happens.

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4. Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis Trade

Finally, in Washington, D.C., the Wizards are trying to figure out what do with Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis, both of whom will become unrestricted free agents next summer. Again, the Lakers are lurking.

The 12–20 Wizards are stuck in a tough place. They just signed Bradley Beal to a 5-year max contract that has a no-trade clause. They need to be tanking, which means trading off pieces that help them win games.

This is a great trade for the Lakers. They not only get Kuzma back but get a starting center in Kristaps Porzingis who will fill in for Anthony Davis now and give L.A. great long-term front court size, shooting, and defense.

L.A.’s season has unfortunately come down to whether 38-year old LeBron James can don his Superman’s cape one more time and put the struggling 13–17 Lakers on his wide shoulders and carry them until AD gets back?

Frankly, that’s not only an unfair burden to put on LeBron James, who’s in the middle of an epic battle we’re all witnessing with Father Time, but also probably the Lakers only realistic chance of salvaging this doomed season.
The front office is already guilty of handicapping the team with a roster desperately in need of more size, shooting, and defense to win consistently. Unsure of the seriousness of Davis’ injury, the Lakers seem ready to punt.

Putting the onus on their 38-year old superstar seems patently unfair, especially after LeBron voluntarily signed an 1+1 extension rather than use that as leverage to force the Lakers to trade Westbrook and their picks.
Now AD’s injury has seemingly given Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office a chance to throw in the towel and sacrifice this season despite Anthony Davis playing like the MVP and LeBron fighting off Father Time.

Davis’ untimely injury has probably derailed any hopes of the Lakers going all-in to win a championship this season. Unless LeBron pulls off a miracle, it’s doubtful the Lakers will trade Westbrook and the picks to improve team.

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What Qualifies As a Miracle from LeBron and Lakers?

So what would qualify as a miracle? What would give the Lakers’ front office enough confidence to go all-in and trade Westbrook and their two first round picks so LeBron and AD could possibly win #18 this season?

The answer is LeBron James and the Lakers winning at a rate that convinces the front office the season can still be salvaged and that there was still a chance they could beat the Celtics in the race to win #18.
But the only way that’s going to happen is if LeBron James pimp slaps Father Time and the rest of the NBA and goes on a memorable run to transform a broken roster into a team that wins more than looses.

The Lakers ’remaining 52 regular season games can be broken down into two groups: the 26 games to be played before the February 9 trade deadline and 26 games to be played after the February 9 trade deadline has passed.
The Lakers need a miracle parlay to finish top-six. They must first win 15 of 26 games before deadline to get to 28–28 and convince the Lakers to trade Russ and picks. Then they need to win 20 of the 26 games to finish 48–34.

It will be a challenge but it’s not too late for the Lakers to convince the front office to trade Russ and the picks. Nor is it too late for the Lakers to get a healthy AD back and make a trade to transform them into a contenders.

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Can Lakers Mathematically Salvage Season?

How realistic are the chances of LeBron to rally the Lakers without AD and win 15 of the 26 games before the trade deadline? And if they accomplish that, what are their chances of winning 20 of 26 to close out the season?

Let’s take a look first at the 26 games the Lakers have to play before the trade deadline and see if there is a pathway that where LeBron could lead them to win 15 of those games and post a 28–28 record by the deadline.

The Lakers should be even or favored in 16 and underdogs in only 10 of 26. With luck, AD could be back before deadline. Bottom line, Lakers should have a good chance to win 15 of 26 and post a 28–28 record by the deadline.

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Even if they get AD back, reach .500 before the deadline, and swap Russ and picks for rotation players, the Lakers face a near impossible challenge to win 20 of 26 to go from a 28–28 Play-In team to a 48–34 Playoff team.

To win the #6 seed in the Western Conference and avoid the Play-In Tournament, the Lakers will need to win 20 of the 26 games after the trade deadline to finish the regular season with a 48–34 win-loss record.

For the Lakers to be talking about throwing in the towel 30 games into a season where Anthony Davis was the best player in the league and LeBron James still dominant seems like a contradiction in logic and reality.

First of all, the Lakers received needed reassurance LeBron James and Anthony Davis could lead them to another championship, which really had become a question of concern due to injuries and losses the last two years.
Second, the West is a mess and there are no surefire championship teams, which is another reason why the Lakers need to keep their options open. Finally, there’s the Pelicans’ pick swap and Celtics shot at #18 to consider.

In the end, there is a pathway for the Lakers to become a .500 team before the trade deadline and even to finish the season with a strong closing run that cinches the #6 seed in the West with a 48–34 win-loss record.