Could Lakers Pull Off Blockbuster Trade For Superstar Point Guard?

The time may have come for Rob Pelinka not only to make a blockbuster trade to save the Lakers’ season but also to commit to a future built around a talented young superstar point guard who can unleash Anthony Davis.

Transitioning from LeBron James has been the monster lurking over every roster decision Rob Pelinka and the Lakers consider that involves trading one of two tradable first round picks. Use picks now or save them for later. With LeBron James finally slowing down a little and looking as if next season just could be his last, the real decision the Lakers may be struggling with right now might not be whether to go big but rather just how big to go.

Frankly, now could be the ideal time for the Lakers to change direction and trade for a young superstar point guard to replace LeBron and complement superstar Anthony Davis and rookie 3-point sharpshooter Dalton Knecht.
There are rumblings around the league that De’Aaron Fox, Trae Young, and LaMelo Ball, three dynamic young superstar point guards who’d be great fits for Los Angeles could become available before the next trade deadline.

The problem the Lakers and ay NBA team faces when a superstar is available is how to win a trade versus loaded teams like Brooklyn, OKC, Utah, and San Antonio, who control 62 first round picks next 7 years.
The Lakers obviously need an edge. Fortunately for them, two of the three young superstar point guards available this trade deadline — Trae Young and De’Aaron Fox — are now clients of Rich Paul and Klutch Sports Group.

Competition for these star point guards, if available, will be fierce but the Klutch connection could ultimately be the difference maker, just as it was when the Lakers and Klutch forced the Pelicans to trade Davis to them.
There have been rumors the Lakers and Klutch might try to repeat the same trade strategy that resulted in the Pelicans trading AD to the Lakers in order to force Sacramento or Atlanta to trade Fox or Young to Los Angeles.

Ideally, any Lakers trade for a young superstar point guard should be a 3-for-1 trade where the Lakers send out Russell, Hachimura, and either Hood-Schifino or Vincent to match salaries and open up 2 roster spots.
The Lakers would still have enough matching salaries plus first round swaps and second round picks to hopefully trade for an affordable starting center like Robert Williams or Walker Kessler to pair with Anthony Davis.

While Pelinka has obviously been a little hesitant and gun-shy of making a major trade after the Westbrook fiasco, the pressure to do something to save the season to give rookie coach Redick a better roster is mounting.
The Lakers need another younger superstar to give LeBron James and Anthony Davis another chance at winning a championship. The timing could be ideal for the Lakers to consider a mega move to replace James.

Trading for a young superstar point guard to replace LeBron James is theoretically more important than winning the championship for any single season as it could impact the franchise’s success for a decade.
Pelinka knows his next big trade could easily be his last as the Lakers’ general manager, which is why he may finally be forced into a blockbuster trade to save the season and land the replacement for LeBron James.

Here are three proposed Lakers trades for a young superstar point guard along with the current player stats for each of the three trade targets and the projected starting lineup, rotation, and depth chart after the trade.

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1. TRADE FOR DE’AARON FOX

De’AAron Fox, 26-Years Old, 6′ 3″, 185 lbs, 2-years @ $35.6M
26.8 pts, 5.1 reb, 5.8ast, 0.2 blk, 1.9 stl in 37.7 mpg
48.5% on 20.3 FGA, 33.8% on 6.3 3PA, 80.3% on 6.2 FTA pg

The grand prize young superstar point guard target for the Los Angeles Lakers would be Sacramento King point guard De’Aaron Fox, who recently fired his old agent and signed with Rich Paul of the Klutch Sports Group.

A lightning quick speedster, De’Aaron Fox would be the perfect young superstar point guard replacement for the Lakers to pair with Anthony Davis to replace LeBron James’ scoring and playmaking going forward.
While the Lakers’ efforts to force Sacramento to trade Fox are a long shot, the Kings under Mike Brown are floundering for direction and the lure of 2 or 3 post-LeBron James Lakers first round draft picks could be appealing.

After trading for Fox, the Lakers would still have enough available matching salary in Gabe Vincent and Cam Reddish plus a first round pick swap or multiple second round picks to trade for Robert Williams.

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2. TRADE FOR TRAE YOUNG

Trae Young, 26-Years Old, 6′ 1″, 164 lbs, 3-Years @ $46.0M
20.7 pts, 3.9 reb, 12.0 ast, 0.1 blk, 1.2 stl in 35.7 mpg
38.4% on 16.5 FGA, 30.6% on 8.3 3PA, 89.1% on 6.2 FTA pg

There’s a strong argument the best young superstar point guard the Los Angeles Lakers could pair with Anthony Davis would be the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young, the best playmaker and 3-point shooter of the 3 candidates.

An elite playmaker and shooter, Trae Young could simply be the best young superstar point guard replacement for the Lakers to pair with Anthony Davis to replace LeBron James’ scoring and playmaking going forward.
While the Lakers’ efforts to force Atlanta to trade Young are a long shot, the Hawks have a loaded and talented young roster for direction and the lure of 2 or 3 post-LeBron James Lakers first round draft picks could be appealing.

After trading for Young, the Lakers would still have enough available matching salary in Max Christie and Jalen Hood-Schifino plus a first round pick swap or multiple second round picks to trade for Robert Williams.

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3. TRADE FOR LAMELO BALL

LaMelo Ball, 23-Years Old, 6′ 7″, 180 lbs, 5-Years @ $48.8M
31.1 pts, 5.4 reb, 6.9 ast, 0.2 blk, 1.1 stl in 34.1 mpg
43.0% on 24.9 FGA, 35.6% on 13.1 3PA, 84.8% on 5.8 FTA pg

There’s no question LaMelo Ball at 6′ 7″ and 23-years old is one of the NBA’s best young point guards who just signed a 5-year monster extension with the hopeless, hapless, perennial bottom feeding Charlotte Hornets.

A unique talent and unicorn, LaMelo Ball joining the Lakers and following his brother Lonzo sounds like a crazy, wild pipe-dream come true but the younger Ball brother has a kind of basketball magic that belongs in L.A.
Without Klutch, the only advantage the Lakers might have in trading for LaMelo might be his personal desire to succeed where his brother failed or the lure of 2 or 3 post-LeBron James Los Angeles Lakers first round picks.

After trading for Ball, the Lakers would still have enough available matching salary in Gabe Vincent and Cam Reddish plus a first round pick swap or multiple second round picks to trade for Robert Williams.