Lakerholics

Now that the MVP version of Anthony Davis has taken the torch from LeBron James as the superstar face of the Los Angeles Lakers, Rob Pelinka no longer has an excuse for not going all-in to upgrade this roster to win.

With rookie head coach Darvin Ham choreographing Russell Westbrook’s successful move to the bench and Anthony Davis’ sudden emergence as the franchise’s lead superstar, the Lakers have miraculously saved their season.
All that remains now is for Pelinka to pull off two big moves to upgrade the Lakers roster with more size and shooting: trading Beverley, Nunn, and a pick for 3&D wing and trading Westbrook and a pick for multiple shooters.

Since no trading partner has a package that fills all the Lakers’ needs, Los Angeles should split their two available first round picks, assigning one pick to the Beverley and Nunn trade and the other to the Westbrook trade. Splitting the picks is a key negotiating strategy as the Lakers need to let teams know there is no deal where they’re going to give up both picks to any single trading partner. The new max is just one unprotected pick.

So let’s take a look at the different options available to the Lakers with respect to the smaller Beverley, Nunn, and pick trade or the bigger Westbrook and pick trade to see what Pelinka’s best moves could be.

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The Smaller Beverley, Nunn, and Pick Trade?

Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn have been disappointing this season. The Lakers need to package their combined $18.2 million in expiring contracts with a first round pick in a trade for a starting small forward.

With Anthony Davis playing like the MVP, the Lakers need to get serious about fixing their starting lineup and rotation. If Anthony Davis is really going to play nothing but center, the Lakers must focus on small forward.
For the last three years, we’ve watched Pelinka overload the Lakers with small guards while ignoring the team’s need for bigger 3&D wings to defend the bigger wing scorers who consistently punish our undersized guards.

Getting serious means finding a legitimate starting small forward who can stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting on offense and have the size and length to guard the bigger wing scorers who consistently hurt the Lakers.
That means targeting proven starter quality small forwards like Bojan Bogdanovic, Jae Crowder, O.G. Anunoby, Harrison Barnes, or Kelly Oubre, Jr. rather than lower salary targets like Cam Reddish and Saddiq Bey.

Offensively, Bojan Bogdanovic is the best candidate. He’s shooting 44.1% from deep on 5.8 attempts per game. More importantly, Bojan would give the Lakers a high powered scoring wing who can get his own shot any time.
Defensively, O.G. Anunoby would the the top prospect. While he’s a 36.9% career 3-point shooter, Anunoby’s biggest appeal is his elite defensive skills. Anunoby would give the Lakers a desperately needed 3&D wing stopper.

Bottom line, the Lakers should trade Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, Damon Jones, and a protected 2029 first round pick to the Pistons for Bojan Bogdanovic, who would become the Lakers starting small forward.

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The Bigger Russell Westbrook and Pick Trade?

While Westbrook has been playing better off the bench, the only way the Lakers can trade for needed multiple rotation players with size who can shoot is by packaging his $47 million contract with a first round pick.

Assuming the Lakers trade Beverley, Nunn, and a pick for Bogdanovic, who would start at the three along with Walker at the two, James at the four, and Davis at the five, their next move is to trade Westbrook for greater depth.
Specifically, they need a starting point guard who can shoot threes and quality reserves to backup Bogdanovic at the three, James at the four, and Davis at the five. That should be the goal of the Westbrook and pick trade.

Several trades could bring back a package of players to solve the Lakers’ size and shooting woes. The package that jumps out is the Jazz foursome of Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Kelly Olynyk, and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Conley would give the Lakers a proven starting point guard averaging 20.7 ppg shooting 38.6% on 4.9 apg. Clarkson would give them a legit 6MOY candidate to replace Russ averaging 19.7 ppg shooting 35.0% on 7.7 apg.

Besides guards, this trade gives the Lakers center Kelly Olynyk, who’s averaging 13.0 ppg and shooting 46.6% on 3.4 apg, and power forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who’s averaging 8.6 ppg shooting 46.2% on 1.1 apg.
Olynyk’s not the rim protector the Lakers need but he is big and mobile, can stretch the floor with his elite shooting stroke, and Vanderbilt is an excellent defender who has been having a break out season from deep.

Trading Russell Westbrook and an unprotected 2027 first round draft pick for Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Kelly Olynyk, and Jarred Vanderbilt would transform the Lakers’ into a legitimate championship contenders.

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What Would Lakers Post-Trades Roster Look Like?

The beauty of the Lakers two big moves is they swap four players for five players, giving up Westbrook, Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and two first round picks for Bogdanovic, Conley, Clarkson, Olynyk, and Vanderbilt.

In the process, they Lakers replaced four players who were poor outside shooters with five players who are good 3-point shooters, including a starting point guard and small forward and a trio of backup forwards.
A review of the above Lakers’ depth chart shows that the Lakers added two quality starters in Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic and three primary backups in Jordan Clarkson, Kelly Olynyk, and Jarred Vanderbilt.

The Lakers not only upgraded the size and shooting of their starting lineup but also added major quality depth to their bench. They basically added five brand new rotation players to what is now a great 10-man rotation.
That’s exactly the kind of serious trades Rob Pelinka needs to pull off to upgrade the size and shooting of the Lakers’ roster and give them the kind of starting lineup and rotation that can win an NBA championship.

Basically, the Lakers were able to replace 1/3 of their 15-man roster. They added a starting point guard and small forward who can shoot and a backup shooting guard, power forward, and stretch center who can shoot.
All five of the Lakers’ new players are plus 3-point shooters and three of them are front court players who give the team desperately needed size, rebounding, scoring, and positional defense as well as 3-point shooting.

The two trades the Los Angeles Lakers pulled off with their two first round draft picks enabled them to completely makeover their starting lineup and basic rotation to fix their issues with size, shooting, and playmaking.

In less than one month, the Los Angeles Lakers have gone from having early season doubts AD would ever take the torch from LeBron James to experiencing the 10-game transformation that signaled his ‘Arrival.’

After struggling with injuries and missed games the past two seasons, Anthony Davis put the Lakers on his shoulders after a rough 2–10 start and has led them to a 3-game road win streak and an 8–2 record in last 10.
During this 10-game stretch, the Lakers have posted the 4th best offensive rating, 8th best defensive rating, and 4th best net rating in the league. They also ranked 2nd in FG%, 8th in 3P%, and 8th in FT% the last 10 games. 

Anthony Davis’ ‘Arrival’ changes everything for the Lakers and complicates the important looming decisions by ownership and management regarding trading Russell Westbrook and their two available first round draft picks. 
The Lakers’ front office was already sharply divided as to whether to invest their two picks to give this roster a shot at a ring or save the picks for next summer. The ‘Arrival’ of Anthony Davis ironically affects both arguments.

Let’s examine how Anthony Davis’ ‘Arrival’ the last 10 games as the next face of the franchise changes everything with respect to the Lakers’ needs, trading Russell Westbrook, and Trading their two first round draft picks. 

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1. Does AD’s ‘Arrival’ Change the Lakers Needs?

Anthony Davis’ ‘Arrival’ should end the perennial arguments about whether he’s better as a center or a power forward. If AD continues to play like the last 10 games, he will most likely win MVP and DPOY awards as a center.

The Lakers have spent the last three seasons futilely searching for a starting center to play alongside Anthony Davis, both to allow him to play his preferred power forward position and to protect him from physicality. 
I’ve long supported trading for Myles Turner to play alongside AD but this Shaquille O’Neal version of Anthony Davis is even better than Bubble AD. It’s time for the Lakers to accept Anthony Davis is now their starting center.

With Davis at center, James at power forward, Walker at shooting guard, and Schröder acceptable at point guard, the Lakers greatest need now becomes a starting small forward or 3&D wing to defend bigger scorers.
The Lakers need to end those three guard lineups with nobody over 6′ 5″. Fortunately, 3&D candidates for that position include Bojan Bogdanovic, Jae Crowder, Lauri Markkanen, O.G. Anunoby, and Cam Reddish.

The Lakers first move should be to trade Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, Damian Jones, and a protected first round pick for one of the above wings to give their starting lineup more size, especially at small forward position.
The Lakers also need better front court backups. Bryant, Gabriel, and Brown, Jr would be the backup center, power forward, and small forward. Lakers’ top bench priority should be a backup center like Kelly Olynyk.

Anthony Davis’ ‘Arrival’ has changed what the Lakers need in terms of roster upgrades. Top two priorities are landing a starting 3&D small forward and backup center who can stretch the floor and protect the rim

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2. Does AD’s ‘Arrival’ Change Russell Westbrook trade?

With Anthony Davis playing like the best player in the world and the Lakers looking like a legitimate championship contenders, there’s a path emerging where the Lakers keep Russell Westbrook and allow his contract to expire.

The benefits of not trading Westbrook include the creation of $35 million in cap space that could be used to sign free agents this summer assuming they don’t trade for any long-term contracts and keeping one or both draft picks.
Ironically, another benefit of not trading Westbrook is still being able to benefit from his excellent play off the bench. Replacing the volume assists Russ gives AD is one of the major challenges of trading for Westbrook.

Unfortunately, other than trading Russ and picks, the only other Lakers’ package that has value is Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and a first round pick, which could bring back player(s) who earn $20 million per year combined. 
Theoretically, the Lakers could trade for a player like Bogdanovic to fill out their starting lineup of Schroder, Walker, Bogdanovic, James, and Davis and have a solid bench of Westbrook, Reaves, Brown, Gabriel, and Bryant.

If the Lakers can trade Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and a pick for a Bogdanovic, they might have enough with the Shaquille O’Neal version of Anthony Davis and a healthy and rested LeBron James to win it all while keeping Russ. 
That’s an argument we should expect the Buss Brothers to make as we approach December 15th and Rob Pelinka and the front office start to execute their key stretch drive moves to upgrade the Lakers’ roster.

It makes sense for the Lakers to execute a trade for a starting small forward on December 15, which would still give them a chance to see how the team plays and reconsider trading Westbrook if the need and opportunity arise.

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3. Does AD’s ‘Arrival’ Change Lakers Trading Picks?

Anthony Davis playing like the ‘best player in the world’ has to ease any concern the Lakers’ front office may have had that LeBron James and Anthony Davis were still capable of winning the NBA championship.

It should also give the Lakers confidence that the player they gambled would become the heir apparent to LeBron James has finally shown that he is up for that challenge and is right now taking the torch from the King. 
That should theoretically give the Lakers confidence to go all-in to win the NBA championship this season both to get LeBron James another ring before he retires and to prevent the Boston Celtics from winning #18.

The thing about a Russell Westbrook trade is it could bring back $47 million in combined salary vs the $20 million the Beverley, Nunn, and pick trade could bring back. That’s basically three rather than one rotation player.
Ideally, the Lakers need a starting small forward and a backup center, power forward, and small forward. The only logical way they can acquire those players is to trade Westbrook as well as Beverley, Nunn, and Jones.

After trading for Bogdanovic, the Lakers should trade Russell Westbrook and one unprotected first round pick to the Utah Jazz for Jordan Clarkson, Malik Beasley, and Kelly Olynyk to give them needed size and shooting.
That 3-player Westbrook trade would give them desperately needed bench depth and the roster versatility needed to deal with the long regular season and normal injuries and play jumbo big or super small in the playoffs.

Anthony Davis’ ‘Arrival’ changes everything for the Lakers and gives them a positive upside that’s clearly worth the team investing both first round draft picks to beat the Boston Celtics and win their 18th NBA championship.

The latest reports indicate that the Lakers are leaning towards smaller trades that don’t include Russell Westbrook or both of their available first round draft picks as they do not see any trade that’s worth both picks.

The driving force behind making a smaller trade is the Lakers’ constant desire to have their cake and eat it too. The Lakers essentially want to split the baby and use some of their assets to win now and others to win later. 
Rob Pelinka is petrified that the post-LeBron James Lakers could be doomed to a decade in the lottery just like the post-Kobe Bryant squads. That’s why he won’t go all-in and spend both picks to upgrade this roster. 

The Lakers have two trade options to upgrade the roster. The bigger option is Russell Westbrook’s $47 million expiring contract while the smaller option is Beverley’s, Nunn’s, and Walker’s $25 million in expiring contracts.
Pelinka’s strategy is to focus on the smaller option and trade Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and one first round pick for size and shooting. By keeping Russ and letting his contract expire, Lakers create $35 million in cap space.

The Lakers are hoping the re-emergence of Bubble LeBron and AD plus a small trade for one or two legitimate starters or rotation players could be enough to give the Lakers’ current roster a puncher’s chance to win it all.
How aggressive the Lakers will be on the trade front will be dependent on how successful they are on their upcoming 6-game road trip against the Eastern Conference Bucks, Wizards, Cavaliers, Raptors, 76ers, and Pistons. 

Here are 10 trades in order that make the Lakers better that don’t include Westbrook. All of them but one include the Lakers’ 2027 unprotected first round draft pick. Lakers could also trade Westbrook and their other pick.

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1. Pacers’ Myles Turner

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2. Hornets’ Kelly Oubre, Jr. and P.J. Washington

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3. Pistons Bojan Bogdanovic

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4. Raptors O.G. Anunoby

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5. Suns’ Jae Crowder

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6. Hornets’ Terry Rozier

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7. Knicks Cam Reddish

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8. Raptors’ Gary Trent, Jr.

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9. Pacers’ Buddy Hield

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10. Jazz’ Jarred Vanderbilt

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The better 23-year old shooting guard Lonnie Walker IV plays, the more Lakers fans bemoan the fact there’s a good chance the Lakers will lose their young star to free agency this summer like they lost Malik Monk last year. 

That Lonnie’s been far better than expected only adds to the pain. He’s now averaging 16.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists in 31.5 minutes per game shooting 47.7% from the field, 36.3% from deep, and 84.4% from the line. Walker smartly bet on himself and signed a 1-year contract with the Lakers that will make him an unrestricted free agent next summer, when he will be looking to beat Monk’s 2-year $19.4 million contract with the Kings.

That’s where the problems begin because there’s a good chance the Lakers will lose Walker to as a free agent next summer just like they lost Monk last summer since the most they will be able to offer will be $7 million MLE. When your roster is short three or four legitimate rotation players, losing a young star like Monk or Walker, who’s even better, without compensation is a bitter pill to swallow, which is why the Lakers need a rethink what to do.

Last offseason, the Lakers let two valuable role players become free agents without any compensation. The Lakers lost Malik Monk to the Sacramento Kings and Alex Caruso to the Chicago Bulls receiving nothing in return. 
Next summer, the Lakers will face the potential loss of a player in Lonnie Walker IV who has a greater ceiling than Monk or Caruso. This time, they need to make sure to not let Lonnie walk for nothing as a free agent.

The Lakers have three options to avoid losing Lonnie to free agency for nothing. They can create cap space and re-sign him as free agent, trade him before the deadline, or sign-and-trade him this summer.

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1. The Cap Space Option

The Lakers have already explored a scenario where they keep Russell Westbrook for the full season and allow his $47 million contract to expire, which would then give them $35 million in cap space for free agents.

Were the Lakers to utilize this option, re-signing Lonnie Walker IV as a free agent should be at the top of the team’s list of targets for their $35 million. Walker is better than Monk and could receive offers as high as $15 million. Unfortunately, not trading Westbrook for needed size and shooting would doom the current Lakers squad to a second straight year as a lottery team, with their first round draft pick this time owed to the Pelicans in a swap. 

While there are those in the Lakers front office who believe the team should not trade their two available first round picks, it’s hard to imagine the Lakers sacrificing the season for a hope and prayer next summer.
Not with LeBron soon to turn 38 and AD playing better than Bubble AD. The Lakers essentially promised James to trade the picks to get him to sign an extension. They’re not going to break their word with LeBron James.

There’s also a scenario where the Lakers keep Westbrook but trade Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, and an unprotected 2027 first round pick for an difference-making player who could give them a long shot at winning. Frankly, there’s probably little to no chance the Lakers will not trade Russ unless they’re able to convince the Pacers to trade Myles Turner, the Jazz to trade Lauri Markkanen, or the Nets trade Kyrie Irving for that package.

The Lakers would have to pull of a blockbuster one-pick trade with Beverley and Nunn in order to keep Westbrook and allow his $47 million contract to expire to create $35 million in cap space next summer.

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2. The Trade Option

Unless they get an opportunity to upgrade their roster without trading Russ and decide to go the cap space route, the Lakers should seriously consider trading Lonnie Walker IV rather than losing him for nothing in free agency.

One of the reasons the Lakers recently pushed the deadline to decide whether to trade Westbrook and their two available first round draft picks to December 15 could have been that was when they could trade Lonnie. 
Not only will free agents that signed with other teams last summer become eligible to be traded to the Lakers on December 15, but the free agents the Lakers signed this summer, including Walker, will be eligible to be traded.

Lonnie earns $6.4 million per year. He, Beverley and Nunn earn $24.6 million and could bring back player(s) earning $19 to $30 million. Adding Russ raises total to $71.6 million and could bring back $54 to $89 million. 
Financially, including Lonnie Walker IV in any trade package enables the Lakers to make a bigger trade that could bring back more legitimate rotation players, including more shooters, playmakers, and defenders.

Strategically, Lonnie Walker IV could give the Lakers a valuable stealth trading chip that could be the difference maker in getting a Westbrook trade to elevate this team to be legitimate championship contenders. 
Being able to include an exciting 23-year old two-way young star like Lonnie with his elite athleticism and 3-level scoring ability is almost like having a third first round draft pick that’s ready to play right now.

Of course, the Lakers will have to trade Lonnie to a team who will have the cap space to re-sign him but all of the teams willing to trade for Westbrook not only are looking for picks and young talent but have lots of cap space.

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3. The Sign-And-Trade Option

If the Lakers decide to keep Lonnie Walker IV or were unable to find an acceptable trade for him before the trade deadline, they should then work with Lonnie to find a trading partner willing to sign-and-trade for him.

Teams who receive players in sign-and-trades are automatically hard capped but not teams who send out players. Thus, the Lakers would not be hard capped if they sign-and-traded Lonnie Walker IV next summer.
Since Lonnie should be a coveted prospect and his agent is Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, the Lakers should be able to find a team willing to trade a good player or players for a budding young star with upside like Lonnie.

A sign-and-trade would prevent the Lakers from losing Lonnie Walker IV to free agency for nothing and bring back a valuable player or players who earn around $15 million per year or whatever amount Lonnie signed for. 
While the Lakers likely opted not to let Monk and Caruso go for nothing to cut their luxury tax bill, they need to get a return for Walker, who has great value in a sign-and-trade because of his age, performance, and upside.

The reason unrestricted free agents like Lonnie Walker IV should look for teams willing to sign-and-trade for him is it expands the number of teams beyond just those who have $15 million in cap space to sign free agents. 
For players like Walker, who want to play for a contender, their best path to being traded to a championship contender is often done via sign-and-trade as the top teams rarely have significant cap space because of superstars.

If the Lakers do not trade Lonnie Walker IV before the trade deadline or re-sign him as a free agent next summer, then they need to sign-and-trade him to a team to avoid losing him to free agency without compensation.