Lakerholics

While the Hawks and Bulls could optimize trading their stars by dragging the process out until February 8 trade deadline, fierce competition to be first could result in a blockbuster trade with the Lakers soon as Monday.

While the Hawks and Bulls would like to leverage the Lakers’ interest in Dejounte Murray and Zach LaVine to improve the offers they receive from other teams, the Lakers are still both teams’ most coveted trade partner.
Rather than opting to drag out the process, there’s a excellent chance the Hawks and Bulls will instead both be looking to strike first and reach a quick deal with the Lakers to trade for Dejounte Murray or Zach LaVine.

The Lakers’ rumor mills are on full throttle. The Lakers and Hawks have been talking about a possible Murray trade while lack of interest may force the Bulls to treat LaVine like a salary dump to get L.A. to trade for him.
Adding spice to all the rumors and anticipation is the reality that both Dejounte and Zach have been playing like legitimate superstars, shooting lights out from beyond the arc, and using their athleticism to defend well.

There’s not a lot of mystery over what a Lakers’ trade for Murray or LaVine would look like. Everybody knows the Lakers desperately need a big trade and can see the players and draft capital comprising their trading chips. Waiting until the trade deadline is not really going to change anything.
What’s going to change the market dramatically is the Lakers making their move. Neither the Hawks or the Bulls want to be the team left at the altar.

Recent reports have both Dejounte Murray and D’Angelo Russell, the two players who would clearly be major parts of any Lakers and Hawks trade, being held out of last night’s game, which could indicate a trade is coming.

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LAKERS NEED TO MAKE TRADE RIGHT NOW

While the Lakers proved last season they could rally and make conference finals despite starting as a play-in rather than playoff team, they likely need bigger, better, and sooner trades than last season to win a championship.

The Lakers right now are not even a play-in team, ranking #11 in the West with a 19–21 record and facing the league leading Jazz on Monday night. The Lakers as a team are literally hanging on for life waiting for a trade.
The urgency is even greater this season than last season because James is a year older and this could literally be his last season in purple and gold and because James and Davis are both healthy and playing at an elite level.

Tomorrow, the Lakers must go all-in with their best offer for an expanded DeJounte Murray trade while advising the Hawks they aren’t going to wait and will pursue a Zach LaVine trade with the Chicago Bulls if they decline.
The Lakers need to let the Hawks and Bulls know they’re not willing to wait for the February 8 deadline to trade for Dejounte Murray or Zach LaVine. If Atlanta or Chicago are not ready to trade right now, then L.A. will move on.

While the Hawks have other potential suitors for Dejounte Murray, the Lakers represent their best opportunity to recoup some of the extensive draft capital they gave the Spurs when they traded for Dejounte Murray.
The Lakers have 12 games left before the deadline. If they lose 8 of those 12 games, which is possible, they would be 6 games under .500 at the deadline, which is 1 game worse than where they were at this point last season.

Last season, it made sense for Pelinka to patiently wait for the best trade deals. This season is different. The Lakers need help right now, not later, and they can’t count on another miraculous comeback this season.

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LAKERS NEED THREE NEW STARTERS

The Lakers need to surround James and Davis with three championship caliber starters, which Russell, Reaves, Vanderbilt, Reddish, Hachimura, and Prince are not. L.A. must consolidate depth into three new starters.

The good news is there are multiple options for the Los Angeles Lakers to revamp their starting lineup, including the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls as well as the Memphis Grizzlies, Brooklyn Nets, and Utah Jazz.
Starting this Monday, players who recently signed new contracts become eligible to be traded. For the Lakers, that means Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura will become eligible to be traded for the first time this season.

The Lakers and Hawks have discussed a possible Dejounte Murray trade, with Atlanta reportedly saying any Murray trade would have to include Austin Reaves and Lakers responding trade would have to be expanded.
The two possible Hawks players whom the Lakers might be interested in would be high volume 3-point shooting two guard Bogdan Bogdanovic and solid veteran defensive center Clint Capela. Trade appears to be possible.

While the Lakers waited until the deadline to make the Westbrook trade last season, everything seems to be pointing to L.A. wanting and needing to act more quickly this year to avoid needing another miraculous comeback.
Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office have been very careful to keep their actions and plans hidden but as recently signed players become eligible to be traded tomorrow, the odds of a mega Lakers trade are rising.

The Lakers appear to be finalizing a blockbuster trade with the Atlanta Hawks for Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic and/or Clint Capela for a package that includes Austin Reaves and L.A.’s 2029 first round pick.

The Lakers’ surprising and abysmal collapse after winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament has made it obvious L.A. needs to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis with legitimate championship quality starters.

No disrespect to Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, Can Reddish, Taurean Prince, Rui Hachimura, or Jarred Vanderbilt. While they’re good backups and rotation players, they’re just not championship quality NBA starters.
While there are moves the Lakers could make to tweak or even upgrade positions with slightly better players, the harsh reality is those moves won’t change the overall dynamic and direction of this critical Lakers’ season.

The Lakers’ problem is they have simply failed to surround LeBron and AD with championship quality starters and that’s why the team is struggling right now to find a starting lineup and rotation that can consistently win.
That’s why nothing that head coach Darvin Ham tries changes anything. He simply does not have legitimate championship quality starters to play other than LeBron James and Anthony Davis and possibly Austin Reaves.

Part of the reason for that problem is the Lakers’ decision to focus on underperforming, modestly paid players under 30-years old whom they believed their coaching staff could grow and develop into better players. While that allowed them to build a deep and diverse bench, they would have been smarter to add proven, higher-paid veterans to their starting lineup because those players are the key to unleashing their superstars.

While the Lakers were smart to build a deep and diverse roster rather than using all their cap space on just 3 superstars, their mistake was failing to invest enough resources to surround James and Davis with quality starters.
Look at what the Celtics did to surround Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Los Angeles doesn’t have three players to surround their superstars who can match Boston’s Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, or Kristaps Porzingis

While salary and talent aren’t directly tied, teams usually get what they pay for. Boston starts their 5 highest paid players who combined earn $153.5 million per year, including 4 players who earn over $30 million per year.
While LeBron James and Anthony Davis earn $88.2 million per year, the other three Lakers’ starters only earn $18.6 million per year, bringing their total starting salary to 106.8 million per year, far less than the Celtics.

The only way the Lakers can save this season and have a chance at beating the Celtics to win their 18th NBA title is to pull of a series of blockbuster trades deadline moves to add at least two championship caliber starters.

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POINT GUARD CANDIDATES

The Lakers’ top priority in building a new starting lineup is finding a new starting point guard since D’Angelo Russell will be traded, Austin Reaves is best off the bench, and LeBron James can’t play the position full time.

Finding an upgrade for D’Angelo Russell will be the Lakers’ greatest challenge as they approach the trade deadline. While Russell played well offensively, neither his offense or defense was championship caliber.
The challenge is exacerbated by the Lakers desperate need to improve the starting lineup’s poor 3-point shooting and offensive rating while also upgrading the quality of the starters’ point-of-attack perimeter defense.

Frankly, the Lakers have struggled since signing LeBron James 4 years ago to acquire an elite point guard who could effectively take over the position. Here are the Lakers’ current top three candidates for starting point guard:

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Dejounte Murray, whom the Hawks traded for and extended 2 years ago and are looking to trade because he’s not the right fit with Trae Young, should be the Lakers’ #1 candidate to be their future starting point guard.

• Dejounte Murray, 27, 6′ 5″, 180 lbs, $18.2M, 1-yr, Ext $25.5M, 4-yrs
  20.9 pts, 4.5 reb, 5.1 ast, 0.3 blk, 1.4 stl in 34.5 mpg

Marcus Smart, former DPOY and elite point-of-attack perimeter defender whom the Celtics traded to the Grizzlies to get Kristaps Porzingis, should be the Lakers’ #2 candidate as their two-way point guard of the future.

• Marcus Smart, 29, 6′ 3″, 220 lbs, $18.8M, 3-yrs
  13.4 pts, 2.4 reb, 4.3 ast, 0.3 blk, 2.0 stl in 30.3 mpg

Malcolm Brogdon, a proven starting point guard who plays both ends of the court and is a career 39.0% 3-point shooter and former ROY and 6MOY should be Lakers’ #3 candidate as their new starting point guard.

• Malcolm Brogdon, 31, 6′ 4″, 229 lbs, $22.5M, 2-yrs
  15.4 pts, 3.5 reb, 5.4 ast, 0.1 blk, 0.8 stl in 27.3 mpg

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The Lakers should trade for one of these three point guards. Murray adds offensive punch and defensive agility, Smart provides elite point-of-attack defense, and Brogdon brings solid 3-point shooting and perimeter defense.

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SHOOTING GUARD CANDIDATES

The Lakers’ 2nd priority in building a new starting lineup is finding a new starting shooting guard to jumpstart the offense with 3 to 4 additional made threes per game to eliminate their 10-point negative 3-point differential.

The Lakers’ current formula for winning games requires them to win the points-in-the-paint and free-throws-made battles by more than 10 points per game to offset their 10-point negative 3-point shooting differential.
Trading for an elite high volume, high percentage 3-point shooter who could give the team 3 or 4 more made threes per game and create better spacing should be the Lakers #2 priority before the trade deadline.

The only way for the Lakers to eliminate their negative 3-point shooting differential is to take and make more threes. Here are three candidates who could deliver 3 or 4 additional made threes per game for the Lakers:

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Bogdan Bogdanovic, who’s an elite high volume, high percentage 3-point shooters who’s currently shooting 37.3% on a career high 8.9 threes per game, should be the Lakers #1 candidate as starting shooting guard.

• Bogdan Bogdanovic, 31, 6′ 5″, 225 lbs, $18.7M, 4-yrs
  17.7 pts, 3.3 reb, 2.8 ast, 0.3 blk, 1.3 stl in 28.3 mpg

Buddy Hield, who’s been on the L.A.’s radar forever and always ranks among the league’s best high volume, high percentage 3-point shooters, should be the Lakers #2 candidate to be their starting shooting guard.

• Buddy Hield, 31, 6′ 4″, 220 lbs, $19.2M, 1-yr
  12.7 pts, 3.2 reb, 2.5 ast, 0.6 blk, 0.8 stl in 25.8 mpg

Zach LaVine, who’s the greatest trade risk due to injury history and mega contract but has the highest ceiling when it comes to talent and fit with James and Davis, should be Lakers’ #3 starting shooting guard candidate.

• Zach LaVine, 28, 6′ 5″, 200 lbs, $40.0M, 4-yrs
  20.7 pts, 4.9 reb, 3.4 ast, 0.2 blk, 0.9 stl in 35.0 mpg

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The Lakers should trade for one of these three shooting guards. Bogdan is generating 3+ made threes and is best defender, Buddy is sure bet to add 3 to 4 threes per game, and Zach has the greatest upside and contract risk.

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SECOND BIG CANDIDATES

The Lakers’ 3rd priority in building a new starting lineup is finding a second big to pair with Anthony Davis in a 2-bigs lineup and back him up when he rest. There are both offensive and defensive second big options.

Playing a second big doubles down on the Lakers’ winning blueprint of dominating points-in-the-paint and free-throws-made, valuable insurance if they can’t find a two guard to give them 3 or 4 more threes per game.
Having a second big who could stretch the floor with their shooting, create opportunities with their playmaking, and protect the rim with their shot blocking would transform the Lakers both offensively and defensively.

The Lakers need to find a second big to play with and without Anthony Davis to be a legitimate contender for their 18th NBA championship. Here are their best three options for a future second big to play with AD:

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Kelly Olynyk, who’s on an expiring contract and would be the perfect offensive stretch big to play next to AD, should be the Lakers #1 candidate to be their future second big to play with and without Anthony Davis.

• Kelly Olynyk, 32, 6′ 11″, 240 lbs, $17.2M , 2-yrs
  8.0 pts, 5.1 reb, 4.6 ast, 0.3 blk, 0.8 stl in 21.5 mpg

Daniel Gafford, who’s a fierce dunker and rebounder and dominant shot blocker and defender against superstar bigs like Nikola Jokic, should be the Lakers #2 candidate as future second big to play with and without AD.

• Daniel Gafford, 25, 6′ 10″, 234 lbs, $12.4M, 3-yrs
  10.5 pts, 7.6 reb, 1.6 ast, 2.1 blk, 1.8 stl in 25.6 mpg

Draymond Green, who’s completed his 12-game suspension and is ready to return to the Warriors’ lineup but could find himself out of their future plans, should be the Lakers’ #3 candidate as second big to pair with AD.

• Draymond Green, 33, 6′ 6″, 230 lbs, $22.3M, 4-yrs
  9.7 pts, 5.5 reb, 5.8 ast, 0.7 blk, 0.4 stl in 32.6 mpg

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The Lakers should trade for one of these second big candidates. Olynyk would be a dynamic second big to stretch the court, Gafford an elite rim protector and vertical threat, and Green an transcendent two-way star.

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TOP-3 TRADE CANDIDATES

The Lakers need to upgrade the three starters who will surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They need a new starting point guard, shooting guard, and second big to play with and complement their two superstars.

Whom do you like as the Lakers’ new starting point guard? Dejounte Murray, Marcus Smart, or Tyus Jones? What about the Lakers new starting shooting guard? Zach LaVine, Buddy Hield, or Bogdan Bogdanovic?
While replacing their backcourt with new point and shooting guards is the Lakers’ top priority, they also need a second big who can start next to Anthony Davis in a two-bigs starting lineup and cover whenever he rests.

Personally, I favor the Lakers trading with the Hawks for Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic and the Jazz for Kelly Olynyk. That would give the Lakers three new starters to play with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Murray, Bogdanovic, and Olynyk earn $54.1 million per year, meaning the Lakers would have to match those salaries, which means giving up Russell, Vincent, Prince, Hood-Schifino, and Hachimura plus major draft capital.

Murray and Bogdanovic immediately become the Lakers backcourt of the future. Dejounte is shooting 38.3% on 6.0 threes per game while Bogdan is shooting 37.5 on 8.9 threes per game. Together, that’s 14.9 threes per game.
Olynyk immediately becomes the dynamic second big who starts next to Davis and gives the Lakers a third high percentage 3-point shooter to create spacing for James and Davis as well as a solid rebounder and playmaker.

As the Lakers near the February 8, 2024 trade deadline, I’ll be looking to see ‘Lakers’ trade bombs’ from Shams or Woj for any of the 9 trade candidates listed in this article, but especially for Murray, Bogdanovic, and Olynyk.

With a 17–16 record and 9th place in the West, the Lakers’ performance on the road against the West-leading Timberwolves was a microcosm of the team’s encouraging and frustrating first 33 games of the 2023–24 season.

The encouragement came from the continued good health and dominating play of superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis and the Lakers’ ability to compete at an extremely high level against the best teams in the league.
The frustration came from the never-ending injury parade and inconsistent play from the Lakers’ role players and the head coach’s struggles to figure out how to build starting lineups and rotations with shooting and defense.

As the Lakers close out 2023 with a New Year’s Eve game in New Orleans against the Pelicans, they’re looking forward to the new year and to a January where they’ll play 10 of their 15 games at home in Los Angeles.
Then there’s January 15, when player who re-signed using Bird rights become eligible to be traded. Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves are the Lakers players who will become eligible to be traded on January 15.

New Year’s Eve’s the perfect time for individuals and organizations to pause and reflect where they’ve been, where they are, and where they’re going. Let’s look where the Lakers have been, are now, and are headed in 2024.

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Not How L.A. Season Was Supposed To Start

After miraculously making it to the Western Conference Finals last season and enjoying a supposedly ‘elite’ offseason, the L.A. Lakers and their fans expected the first 40% of the 2023–24 season to go a lot better than it did.

That’s not to say this team did not have it’s moments. For better or worse, they did champion and win the inaugural In-Season Tournament though maybe soiling their ‘Championships Only’ ID by hanging the ISL banner.
And LeBron James continues to dominate Father Time and prove he’s still a superstar at age 39 while Anthony Davis has been the heart and soul of the Lakers and has now become the alpha player L.A. must have on the court.

At their best, the Lakers have shown glimpses of the team that made it to the conference finals, especially against the best, but injuries and their inconsistent play and coaching have hamstrung them so far this season.
While injuries ravaged the role players, Gabe Vincent became the new Kendrick Nunn, DLO and Reaves’ defense became unplayable at times, and Ham continued to play defenders who couldn’t shot, the Lakers survived.

That’s all that matters right now. Last year, it took the Lakers until March 30 to reach .500. Right now, they’re already over .500 and in a dramatically better position to rise than they were at the end of December last season.
The Lakers have the league’s 22nd offensive rating, the 9th defensive rating, and 19th net rating this season. That’s a solid improvement over last season’s 17th offensive rating, 21st defensive rating, and 25th net rating.

What the Lakers learned from the first 33 games is that a healthy and engaged LeBron James and Anthony Davis is still all they need to compete for an NBA championship. Now they just need to upgrade a few pieces.

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Lakers Are Win Streak Away From 4th in West

As frustrating this season has been so far, the Los Angeles Lakers should nevertheless be grateful for where they are and the health and great play of James and Davis. The Lakers are just 3 games away from 4th in the West.

While the deep West is going to be a challenging every game, the Lakers are just a big winning streak away from catapulting themselves out of the 7–10 Play-In Tourney grouping and into the top-6 guaranteed playoff teams.
After tonight’s game in New Orleans vs. the Pelicans, the Lakers will face a more friendly schedule that has them playing 10 of 15 games in January in Los Angeles. The Lakers’ goal should be to be 4th seed by end of January.

With James and Davis dominating like during the 2020 championship run in the bubble, the Lakers just need their head coach to stabilize the starting lineup and rotation and their role players to come through and perform.
Right now Ham wants to prove the Lakers can win with a starting lineup that boasts two elite defenders who are non-shooters in Cam Reddish and Jarred Vanderbilt. For a change, that lineup was great against the Wolves.

To his credit, since the lineup change where Reddish, Vanderbilt, and Prince join superstars James and Davis, the Lakers have competed at a high level despite playing the league’s best. Ham’s not likely to backtrack now.
But the need for a trade soon is growing as Ham leans more and more on James and Davis. If what they want necessitates trading Rui Hachimura or Austin Reaves, the Lakers will then have to wait until after January 15.

Meanwhile, the Lakers hope their recent improved 3-point shooting will continue as they pray and hope they can push the ‘Go Bigger’ philosophy to win games until they can pull off a desperately needed blockbuster trade.

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What’s Missing For Lakers to Have Happy 2024?

New Year’s Eve’s the perfect time for individuals and organizations to pause and reflect where they’ve been, where they are, and where they’re going. Embracing that, here’s what’s missing for the Lakers to have a happy 2024.

1. New Starting Point Guard
   The Lakers are committed to trading D’Angelo Russell, which means they must also bring back a new point guard via trade or play James at the point guard. The best solution may be to trade Russell and draft capital to the Atlanta Hawks for point guard Dejounte Murray.
2. New Starting Power Forward
   The Lakers also need to find a second big to pair with Anthony Davis who can provide better 3-point shooting and offensive spacing than Jarred Vanderbilt. The ideal solution to giving the starting lineup more firepower and playmaking would be to trade for Kelly Olynyk.
3. New Backup Center
   The Lakers need to double down on their winning blueprint of winning points-in-the-paint and free-throws-made by investing via trade in a quality rim protector to play center when Anthony Davis rests. Top solution to fill that role would be a trade for Wizards’ Daniel Gafford.

Below is a the result of Lakers trades for Dejounte Murray, Kelly Olynyk, and Daniel Gafford. Hawks would get Lakers 2029 pick and 2028 & 2029 swaps, Jazz no protection on 2027 pick, and Wizards 2 second rounders.

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Lakers Depth Chart After Trades:

PG: Dejounte Murray, Austin Reaves, Jalen Hood-Schifino
SG: Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Max Christie
SF: LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxwell Lewis
PF: Kelly Olynyk, Christian Wood
CE: Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Jaxson Hayes

The Los Angeles Lakers are now reportedly focusing their attention on a potential trade deadline move to acquire Atlanta Hawks’ star point guard Dejounte Murray instead of Chicago Bulls’ shooting guard Zach LaVine.

Physically, both players are approximately the same age and height, although Dejounte Murray has 2″ more wingspan and is in his 7th year in the NBA while LaVine weighs 20 lbs more and is in his 10th NBA season.
Zach has a history as an elite high-volume 3-point shooter but is currently only averaging 33.6% on 7.1 threes per game while Dejounte is shooting a career best 37.4% on a career high 6.2 threes per game for the season.

Dejounte Murray and Zach LaVine are both clients of Klutch Sports Group, who also currently represent Lakers’ superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis as well as valuable role players Cam Reddish, and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Here’s a breakdown of Dejounte Murray’s and Zach LaVine’s physical vitals, current annual salary, and current season and career statistics for points, rebounds, assists, types of shots attempted, and percent of shots made:

• Dejounte Murray, 27-years old, 6′ 5″, ws 6′ 8″, 180 lbs, $18.2M
  2023–24: 20.2/4.5/5.3 on 16.9/6.2/2.9 shots for 45.8%/37.4%/83.0%
  Career: 14.4/5.8/5.1 on 12.7/2.9/2.2 shots for 45.8%/34.1%/78.9%
• Zach LaVine, 28-years old, 6′ 5″, ws 6′ 10″, 200 lbs, $40.1M
  2023–24: 21.0/4.9/3.4 on 16.6/7.1/4.6 shots for 44.3%/33.6%/86.6%
  Career: 20.5/4.0/3.9 on 15.8/5.8/4.4 shots for 46.4%/38.2%/83.4%

While both players would immediately become third best on the team, Dejounte Murray is a better fit than Zach Lavine for what the Lakers need for five important reasons: price, contract, position, defense, and health.

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1. PRICE

The price of trading for Dejounte Murray in terms of matching salaries would be less than for Zach LaVine because the Lakers would only have to give up players earning a combined $18 million rather than $40 million.

While the Lakers would have to give up their 2029 first round draft pick, there’s an argument that giving a pair of surrounding pick swaps to a perpetual underachiever like the Atlanta Hawks was reasonable risk.
The Lakers not having to give up an additional $22 million in players for LaVine could be the difference between being a legit, deep championship contender or top-heavy pretender with 3-stars and no depth like the Suns.

The Lakers should trade for Dejounte Murray rather than Zach LaVine because the combined salaries saved would let them to retain their depth and keep up to $22 million in non-minimum salary rotation players.

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2. CONTRACT

The $132 million owed Dejounte Murray the next five years if the Lakers trade for him would be a much more manageable contract than the 4-year $178 million contract they would assume if they traded for Zach LaVine.

Dejounte Murray’s reasonable 5-years and $132 million would not hinder the Lakers financially, unlike Zach LaVine’s 4-year $178 million contract, which would clearly push the Lakers past the first luxury tax threshold.
More importantly, if the Lakers traded for LaVine, they would end up with significantly greater risk by putting all of their eggs into one basket rather than spending that $40 million per year on multiple rotation players.

The Lakers should trade for Dejounte Murray instead of Zach LaVine to insure greater financial flexibility over the next five years and reduce the risks of major injury by not adding a third max contract player.

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3. POSITION

Because the Lakers have committed to replacing D’Angelo Russell as their starting point guard, they would be smart to trade for the Hawks’ Dejounte Murray instead of Bulls’ Zach LaVine because he’s a legitimate point guard.

Right now, the Lakers are so desperate to find a starting point guard Darvin Ham has LeBron James playing the point, which has resulted in a dramatic drop in spacing and caused an uproar in social media to fire Darvin Ham.
The Lakers are hopeful that not having to share the point guard position with Trae Young could result in Murray posting numbers close to what he did in San Antonio in 2021–22 when he averaged 21.1/8.3/9.2 in 34.8 mpg.

The Lakers need a point guard to replace D’Angelo Russell, whom they’re committed to trading, and Dejounte Murray is a better solution than Zach LaVine because he would be able to play his natural point guard position.

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4. DEFENSE

What really separates Dejounte Murray from Zach LaVine as a star is his defense. Murray was NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2018 and averages 2.0 steals and blocks per game vs. LaVine’s 1.1 steals and blocks per game.

One of the recurring issues the Lakers have suffered over the last few years is the inability to find legitimate 3&D players who cannot be played off the court by either their inability to space the floor or to play quality defense.
The Lakers miss the aggressive point-of-attack defense of Dennis Schroder and hope Dejounte Murray, with his 6′ 5″ size, 6′ 10″ wingspan, and physical athleticism, could be the elite two-way point guard they desperately need.

Defense could be the single more important reason why the Lakers should trade for Dejounte Murray rather than Zach Lavine and why the former is a far better fit for what defense-first coach Darvin Ham wants for the team.

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5. HEALTH

Health and availability strongly favor the Lakers trading for Dejounte Murray, who is more durable and has averaged 66 games per season over 7 seasons vs. Zach LaVine who only averaged 62 games over 10 seasons.

LaVine’s health situation is further exacerbated by a current foot injury that’s kept him out of play the last few weeks and just highlights the real concerns over his balky knee and questionable prior injury history.
Murray has also logged fewer games and minutes than LaVine. In 10 years, Zach has played 573 games and 18,000 minutes over his career compared to just 424 games and 12,000 minutes for Dejounte over his 7 seasons.

Health and durability are another reason the Lakers should trade for Dejounte Murray rather than Zach LaVine. Murray is younger, has played a third fewer games and minutes than LaVine, and is less of an injury risk.

While the Lakers quietly built a roster that can not only compete for an championship right now but also potentially contend after LeBron retires, James and Davis in championship form complicates their decisions.

The Lakers have always believed a healthy LeBron James and Anthony Davis were all they need to contend for a championship. Back-to-back 40-point games from their two superstars have just reminded them of that.
With LeBron turning 39 in a few days, Rob Pelinka knows now is the time for the Lakers to go all-in to win because this season is likely the team’s and James’ last and best opportunity to win another NBA championship.

The problem is the Lakers are trying to build a deep and diverse roster to win titles now and after LeBron retires while simultaneously trying to trade for a third superstar to replace James and become Davis’ co-superstar.
The Lakers must decide whether to gamble on pursuing a trade for the Bulls’ Zach LaVine, a talented, sharp-shooting 28-year old two-guard with an injury history and massive contract who could replace LeBron James.

The consensus among pundits is LeBron James’ and Anthony Davis’ recent superstar play has ratcheted up the pressure on Rob Pelinka and Lakers’ front office to pull off a mega trade for LaVine as their third superstar.
A healthy and dominating James and Davis probably increases the odds the Lakers will pursue a major blockbuster move like trading for Zach LaVine, especially if the price is low since there don’t seem to be any competitors.

However, there are compelling arguments that a smarter and safer path for the Lakers to pursue could be to trade for three elite rotation players who combined earn $40 million per year rather than pay it to just one player.

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Trading for Three Players SMARTER Than Trading For LaVine

The Lakers would be smarter to trade for three players who combined earn $40 million per year rather than one player because they have more roster needs to fill than a single player making $40 million per year could provide.

Assuming they plan to start LeBron James at point guard, the Lakers clearly need more shooting, playmaking, and rebounding in the starting lineup and a better defensive center to protect the rim when Anthony Davis rests.
While Zach LaVine would provide their starting lineup with desperately needed shooting, rebounding, and playmaking, the Lakers would still have to sacrifice valuable bench depth and diversity and financial flexibility.

Instead, the Lakers could decide to trade for Kelly Olynyk, Daniel Gafford, and Tyus Jones, who together earn $38.5 million per year, and would add starting lineup shooting, rebounding, and playmaking and a backup center.
There’s even the possibility that the Lakers might be able to get Olynyk by removing 1–4 protection from the 2027 first round pick they owe the Jazz and offering multiple second round picks to Wizards for Gafford and Jones.

That would give L.A. a starting lineup of LeBron James, Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince, Kelly Olynyk, and Anthony Davis and bench of Tyus Jones, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Daniel Gafford.
Olynyk replacing Vanderbilt could transform the Lakers’ starting lineup with his elite 3-point shooting, rebounding, and playmaking and Jones and Gafford would add needed playmaking and rim protection to the bench.

The combination of Olynyk, Jones, and Gafford would provide the Lakers starting lineup and rotation with more depth and diversity than they could get from a single player making $40 million per year like Zach LaVine.

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Trading for Three Players SAFER Than Trading For LaVine

Trading for Kelly Olynyk, Tyus Jones, and Daniel Gafford, who make $38.5 million per year combined, is considerably safer than putting all your eggs in one basket by trading for a single $40 million player like Zach Lavine.

The problem with trading for a third superstar like LaVine is the Lakers would essentially be gambling all of their trading chips on just one player when our record and performance tells us we need three new players.
While LaVine could be a great fit if he stayed healthy and played defense, there’s major risks the Lakers could repeat the Russell Westbrook trade and end up like with a three superstars and nothing else like the Phoenix Suns.

The Lakers would be much safer by splitting that $40 million in annual salary between three players like Kelly Olynyk, Tyus Jones, and Daniel Gafford rather than betting it all on just one player like Zach LaVine.
Having three players instead of one could also cushion the Lakers from adverse events like injuries, foul trouble, off-games, or bad matchups and provide invaluable insurance should they fall victim to an adverse event.

The Lakers showed in their last two games that LeBron and AD are still top-5 superstars and that what they need most is three strategic upgrades to their starting lineup and rotation instead of a gamble on a third superstar.