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Power of Positional Size Is Why Lakers Must Become Bigger at Every Position

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Dominant size at every position was how the Lakers won the 2020 NBA championship in the bubble, playing a jumbo starting lineup that averaged 6′ 8″ or 2 inches taller at all five positions than the average NBA team.

Watching this season’s undersized version of those Lakers consistently lose the rebounding and points-in-the-paint battles will hopefully force the front office to reprioritize their roster building strategy to focus on getting bigger. What had been a fearsome small-ball-on-steroids attack that dominated at both ends of the court in the bubble has somehow evolved into undersized micro-ball lineups with Anthony Davis or LeBron James as the only big.

Positional size is not about prioritizing size over needed basketball skillsets. It’s about building a roster with players who are just as good at shooting, passing, rebounding, and defending as any at their position but are bigger. Having a size advantage at every position is game changing at both ends of the court, as Lakers’ opponents discovered in the bubble. The Lakers dominated the boards and paint playing two bigs and small-ball-on-steroids.

While size matters in the NBA, just being big is not enough and players need quickness, foot speed, and physicality to play and defend their position and not be constantly hunted by teams and played off the floor defensively. Heading into this summer, the Lakers’ top priority after hiring a head coach and trading Russell Westbrook should be to return to their winning strategy of positional size advantage when rebuilding around LeBron and AD.

Positional size is about creating a team-wide size advantage that translates into opposing teams getting worn out fighting against bigger players and frustrated as they give up more points, rebounds, blocked shots, and steals. It’s also about not just about size alone; it’s about how a player uses size. LeBron James and Anthony Davis, for example, both play bigger than their physical measurements as do players like P.J. Tucker and Bruce Brown.

Let’s take a look at why positional size is so important to the Lakers, how more positional size will impact the team offensively and defensively, and why greater positional size is the key to the purple and gold winning #18.

Why Is Positional Size Such a Key Factor in Lakers’ Rebuild?

Restoring the positional size advantage that helped them win the 2020 NBA championship should be the Los Angeles Lakers top priority this summer. Positional size is the strategic wild card the Lakers need to fully embrace.

The last two year’s injury plagued seasons should have convinced the Lakers’ front office that playing injury-prone Anthony Davis or 37-year old LeBron James extensively at center was not a smart strategic move to make. James at the four and Anthony at the five leave the Lakers undersized at both positions since at 6′ 9″ James is 1 inch shorter and at 6′ 10″ Davis 2 inches shorter than today’s average NBA power forward and center.

But were the Lakers to acquire a new enter like 6′ 11″ Myles Turner or 7′ 0″ Isaiah Hartenstein and move 6′ 10″ Anthony Davis to the four and 6′ 9″ LeBron James to the three, they’d have a size edge at all three positions. That’s why the smart way for the Lakers to get bigger is by adding a 6′ 11″ to 7′ 1″ center and moving 6′ 9″ James and 6′ 10″ Davis down a position rather than playing the four and five and adding size with a bigger small forward.

Making positional size part of the roster building strategy reflects that players at all positions have been and will continue to get bigger and their wingspans longer so it makes sense to prioritize size when the rest is equal. The other thing to remember is it’s how the player plays that matters more than his height measurement. Individual motor, vertical leap, and physicality can empower players to play greater than their physical size.

While LeBron James and Anthony Davis have the skill and talent to play bigger than they are, their best positions are most likely small and power forward where they have a definite size advantage over their competition.

How Will Positional Size Will Impact Lakers Offensively?

Offensively, having positional size advantage should enable the Lakers to dominate the paint, score at the rim, and control the boards, playing both a versatile bully-ball two-bigs and small-ball-on-steroids style of basketball.

Restoring the Lakers’ positional size advantage on offense starts with a young modern two-way center to start games to enable Anthony Davis to start at the four in regular season games like during the championship year. Starting a 6′ 11″ to 7′ 1″ young stud at center and sliding Anthony Davis and LeBron James down a position to power forward and small forward would give the Lakers a significant 2″ advantage at all three front court positions.

The only tweak the Lakers should make is adding a modern center who can not only block shots and protect the rim but can also stretch the court with 3-point shooting and defend well enough not to get played off the floor. Acquiring a modern two-way center like Turner or Hartenstein could also limit the wear-and-tear and potential injuries due to Anthony Davis having to deal with the raw physicality of playing center in the regular season.

By adding a stretch five center like Myles Turner or Isaiah Hartenstein, the Lakers can upgrade their positional size advantage in the front court and also improve their shooting, rebounding, and points-in-the-paint issues.

How Will Positional Size Impact Lakers Defensively?

Last season, the Lakers’ lack of positional size hurt them defensively in three areas: lack of front court size to control the boards, shot blockers to protect the rim, and guards or wings with the size to defend paint post ups.

Defensively, the Lakers need to get bigger at every position. They need a true starting center with the size to physically bang with Jokic, Embiid, Towns, and other NBA centers who are too big or too physical for Davis. They need bigger small forwards who can guard taller wing scorers like Durant, Antetokounmpo, and Doncic. And they need bigger guards who can switch everything and not be constantly hunted as easy prey on defense.

Adding a defensive center who can protect the rim and defend in space, a proven wing defender who can guard bigger wing scorers, and bigger guards who can switch everything will give Lakers a positional size edge. They may start games with a traditional two bigs lineup with Davis at the four and the new center at the five and close games by replacing the center with an elite wing defender and finishing with small-ball-on-steroids.

Defensively, having positional size advantage should enable the Lakers to transform poor rebounding, weak shot blocking, and easily hunted defenders from being their greatest weaknesses to their greatest strengths.

Why Could Positional Size Be Key to Lakers’ Championship?

Dominant positional size was the path the Los Angeles Lakers took to win their 17th NBA championship and, with a few modernizing tweaks, should be the same strategy they follow when rebuilding their roster this summer.

In many ways, the Lakers have bought in on the league-wide lack of respect for what the center position means to winning in an NBA where Rudy Gobert can win DPOY but can be played off the court by teams going small. The minutes and games that have been wasted with the forgettable and mostly over-the-hill rent-a-centers the Lakers have deployed over the last few seasons is almost criminal. Centers still matter, just like midrange shots.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis give the Lakers an advantage no other NBA team has in that they have two superstars who can play and defend all five positions on the court. They’re solid gold roster building wild cards. Getting bigger by adding a center instead of a forward enables the Lakers to take advantage of their stars’ versatility while reducing their workload and limiting some of the low post physicality that can lead to injuries.

Next to hiring a new head coach and trading Westbrook, bringing in a young modern two-way center to start alongside James and Davis would give the Lakers a significant size advantage at every position.

How the Four ‘Right’ Players Could Transform the Lakers to Champions!

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Last season was a brutal reminder of how important picking the ‘right’ players is to success in professional sports. Rob Pelinka will have to do a better job this summer than he did last summer if the Lakers are to win.

Unfortunately, finding the ‘right’ players is difficult and more of an ‘art’ than ‘science,’ requiring a lethal instinct for player strengths and weaknesses and ability to envision how the different players will fit as a team. More than anything, Pelinka’s failure to properly assess the risk and cost of the Westbrook experiment failing was the kind of mistake that ends careers. He’s lucky he will get a second chance, even if it will be challenging.

Here are the Lakers’ player needs this summer: (1) point guard to run the offense, (2) shooting guard to space the floor, (3) modern physical center to protect the rim, and (4) defensive forward with size to guard bigger wings. Importantly, for these four players to be the ‘right’ players, three of them must be able to space the floor with 3-point shooting and three of them must be plus defenders capable of guarding multiple positions and levels.

Last season, the Lakers filled those needs with Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn, DeAndre Jordan, and Talen Horton-Tucker. Unfortunately, Westbrook bombed, Jordan was cut, Nunn never played, and Horton-Tucker regressed. This season, with luck and blessings of the basketball gods, the four ‘right’ players filling those needs could be Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Nic Claxton, a major upgrade of Lakers’ roster.

The Lakers should be able to get Brogdon and Hield in a salary dump from the Pacers for Westbrook and 2027 first rounder, Hartenstein with their TP or NT MLE, and Claxton from the Nets for Horton-Tucker and 2029 first rounder. That’s 2 players and 2 picks from the Lakers for 4 players. They swap Westbrook, Horton-Tucker, 2027 first round pick, and 2029 first round pick for Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Nic Claxton.

So let’s take a closer look at what each of these four new players brings offensively and defensively and why they’re the ‘right’ picks to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis and transform the Lakers into a champs.

1. Malcolm Brogdon, Point Guard

Malcolm Brogdon, 29-years old, 6′ 5″, 229 lbs
19.1/5.1/5.9 and 44.8%/31.2% on 5.2 3PA/85.6

While trading for a difference-making point guard to reduce LeBron James’ on-ball and playmaking workload didn’t work with Dennis Schroeder or Russell Westbrook, trading for Malcolm Brogdon should be a winning move.

Tyrese Haliburton and Chris Duarte are the Pacers’ backcourt of the future, which makes Malcolm Brogdon and his 3 years and $57.6 million an ideal chip to swap with Buddy Hield for Russell Westbrook’s expiring contract. Indiana has no interest in Westbrook as a player but are willing to take on his 1 year and $47.1 million to avoid Brogdon’s 3 years and $57.6 million and Hield’s 2 years and $39.1 million to save $49.6 million in long-term salaries.

One of the appeals to the Lakers of trading Westbrook and a first round pick to the Indiana Pacers is the opportunity to get a proven starting-quality two-way point guard like Malcolm Brogdon back as part of the trade return package. While the Lakers have to gamble Malcolm can stay healthy, they’re getting an All-Star point guard who is an elite 3-point shooter and playmaker with the size and physicality to defend multiple positions.

Brogdon is the ‘right pick’ for the Lakers to trade for as their new starting point guard. His size, 3-point shooting, and solid defense elevate him over other trade candidates like Terry Rozier, Derrick Rose, or Kemba Walker.

2. Buddy Hield, Shooting Guard

Buddy Hield, 29-years old, 6′ 4″, 220 lbs
15.6/4.4/2.8 and 44.7%/36.2% on 8.5 3PA/89.6%

Buddy Hield to the Lakers should have and almost did happen last summer but the Lakers changed course at the last minute and traded for Westbrook. Now, in a sweet shift of fate, the Lakers may have a chance for a do-over.

Most NBA pundits were surprised the Lakers did not go through with a proposed trade with the Kings for Hield last summer as he is the perfect high volume, high percentage 3-point shooter to complement LeBron and AD. Hield, part of Indy’s bounty from the Sabonis trade to Sacramento, makes too much to come off the bench. With Haliburton and Duarte set as their backcourt of the future, the Pacers need to trade Hield and Brogdon.

While not an elite defender, Buddy Hield has the size, strength, and quickness to be a plus defender, especially in a switch-everything defense with rim protection. Hield averaged 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocks last season. Pairing the 6′ 4″ Hield with the 6′ 5″ point guard Brogdon gives the Lakers a big high-scoring backcourt with the range to rain threes, willingness to share the ball, and size and toughness to play physical defense.

Buddy Hield is the ‘right’ pick as the starting shooting guard for the Lakers because his high volume, high percentage 3-point shooting will create more space than candidates like Eric Gordon, Evan Fournier, or Kelly Oubre, Jr.

3. Isaiah Hartenstein, Center

Isaiah Hartenstein, 24-years old, 7′ 0″, 250 lbs
8.3/4.9/24 and 62.6%/46.7% on 0.3 3PA/68.9%

There may be no attainable player who could have a greater impact to unleash the beast in superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis and help the Lakers become a legitimate contender than Isaiah Hartenstein.

With LeBron James and Anthony Davis struggling to stay healthy in an increasingly physical NBA, the Lakers need to commit to signing a bully-ball modern center who will allow James and Davis to slide down one position. Hartenstein is the perfect fit for what the Lakers need, a mobile young center who can protect the rim and defend out to the 3-point line. In 17.9 minutes per game last season, Isaiah averaged 1.1 blocks and 0.7 steals.

Hartenstein is the Clippers’ version of Malik Monk in that the most they can offer him next season is just $2.3 million, 120% of what he earned last year. Salary cap experts expect Hartenstein to fetch $7 to $8 million this summer. With a little salary cap magic, the Lakers should be able to keep their total payroll under the $155.2 million hard cap, which means they could offer Hartenstein up to the full $10.3 million of their MLE.

After a revolving door of failed ‘rent-a-centers.’ the Lakers have an opportunity this summer to sign Isaiah Hartenstein as their next great center. Hartenstein is the ‘right’ center at the ‘right’ price for the Lakers.

4. Nic Claxton, Power Forward

Nic Claxton, 23-years old, 6′ 11″, 215 lbs
8.7/5.6/0.9 and 67.4%/0.0% on 0.03PA/58.1%

There is no player more in demand in the NBA than a 6′ 8″ to 6′ 10″ mobile forward who can defend bigger wing scorers like Jason Tatum, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, or Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Claxton is defensive jack-of-all-trades in that he can play all three front court positions — small forward, power forward, and center — and defend all five positions at al three levels of the court-paint, midrange, beyond the arc. While a great lob but not shooting threat, Nic gives the Lakers a defensive tool who can protect the rim and defend the perimeter so well he cannot be played off the court like so many traditional low post bigs.

Fortunately for the Lakers, the Nets have too many centers and appear unlikely to want to extend Claxton at this time, which mean they would probably be willing to trade him for Horton-Tucker and a first round pick. Trading for Claxton also gives the Lakers the defensive specialist they need to play any style of basketball, especially during the regular season when the Lakers want to save playing Anthony Davis at the five for the playoffs.

While he can’t stretch the floor, Claxton is the fourth ‘right’ player for the Lakers to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He gives the Lakers an elite defensive center and shut-down wing defender to guard big scorers.

5. Four ‘Right’ Players Transform Lakers into Championship Team

When healthy, no team in the NBA has two better superstars than the Lakers’ LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The problem has always been finding the ‘right’ three players to start alongside their two superstars.

The four new players — Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Nic Claxton— should give LeBron James and Anthony Davis the high volume 3-point shooting and versatile positional size to unleash their games. Brogdon, Hield, Hartenstein, and Claxton should be the best four players on the Lakers after James and Davis. While Brogdon and Hield are 29-years old, 23-year old Hartenstein and Claxton make the Lakers younger.

The Lakers not only traded Russell Westbrook and a first round pick for two quality starters also swapped Talen Horton-Tucker and a first round pick for a starter and signed Hartenstein with their full MLE for a fourth starter. Signing Hartenstein for the full $10.3 million MLE requires the Lakers to be hardcapped for the rest of this season. Being able to stay under the $155.2 million hard cap gives the Lakers another $8.2 million in MLE and BAE.

Here’s a breakdown of how the Lakers get under the NBA hard cap:

Rob Pelinka is facing a difficult challenge to rebuild the Lakers to championship level with few trading chips but there are multiple legitimate rotation players who would transform the Lakers into a contender.

Why the Lakers Would Be Foolish to End Close Alliance with Klutch Sports

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The smartest move Rob Pelinka made as VP of Basketball Operations and General Manager for the Los Angeles Lakers was to forge an alliance with Rich Paul and the Klutch Sports Group, who represent James and Davis.

With LeBron James’ seemingly never-ending career approaching its end, the biggest mistake Pelinka and the Lakers could make would be to assume the Klutch alliance was no longer important and end the partnership. Ending a unique advantageous relationship that brought the Lakers two superstars and their 17th NBA championship would be a foolhardy move considering Klutch Sports is on the way to being the #1 agency in the NBA.

Right now, whether the Lakers should end their alliance with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports since LeBron James is nearing retirement has become the most controversial NSFW NBA topic dominating sports blogs and bars. Many supporters of ending the partnership blame LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the unnecessary season-killing trade for Russell Westbrook and are worried about LeBron bolting the Lakers like the Cavs.

What those critics are ignoring is the Klutch relationship is about a lot more than just LeBron James. Rich Paul is also the agent for Anthony Davis and taking a dramatic step like trading LeBron could end up alienating AD. Right now, Klutch has 31 NBA players under contract for total salaries of $389,208,200, including 5 All-Stars and two players with max contracts. Jeff Schwartz is only agent with more players, total salaries, or All-Stars.

Klutch Sports just signed Zach LaVine to join their stable of NBA stars that includes LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons, Draymond Green, Lonzo Ball, Trae Young, Miles Bridges, Malik Beasley, and Darius Garland. Having potential access to Klutch Sports valuable portfolio of players is an advantage the Lakers should treasure and carefully manage. It’s an edge no other NBA team has and could directly contribute to future championships.

One of the advantages for the Lakers of having an alliance with Klutch Sports is the insight it gives Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office and scouting department when it comes to player evaluation, a Klutch strength. Rich Paul and Klutch Sports Group have become champions of NBA player empowerment and movement and that is not like to stop in the future. At some point, Klutch is going to make another move to help the Lakers.

It could even happen this summer with Zach LaVine, an unrestricted free agent, whom Klutch Sports could have demand a sign-and-trade to the Los Angeles Lakers or he will sign elsewhere and the Bulls will get nothing. Rich is not afraid to be a trend setting in getting his clients the best deals with the best teams. Pairing LaVine with James and Davis would certainly enhance the brand of the Lakers as well as the three Kutch Sports Group superstars.

The relationship between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Klutch Sports Group has been a point of contention with other NBA teams and agents, who say the relationship gives the Lakers an unfair competitive advantage. The league so far has not been able to find a legal basis for preventing the Lakers and Klutch collaboration. Nor has any other NBA team been able to forge a similar relationship with any of Klutch Sports competitors.

The smartest move Pelinka can make this summer is make sure to embrace and reinforce the Los Angeles Lakers’ close alliance with the Klutch Sports Group to help the purple and gold win more NBA championships.

What Does the Lakers Slow-Walking Their Head Coaching Search Tell Us?

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The Lakers have a problem. They desperately need to hire a new coach before the NBA draft but their top two candidates are under already under contract and the none of the remaining candidates inspire optimism.

Yet the Lakers seem to be slow-walking the process of finding a new coach. While stressing they want to have a new head coach in place before the playoffs, Pelinka seems to be deliberately taking time to search for a coach. The plan per Woj is for the Lakers to interview groups of three candidates at a time to be able to go deeper with each candidate and not have good candidates get lost in the process of a wide-spread initial search process.

The question that immediately jumps to mind is why would the Lakers want to slow down the search for a new head coach, especially since there are two other teams actively looking for a coach and limited candidates. The Lakers were heavily criticized for doing a poor job during the coaching search that ended up with Frank Vogel as the new head coach, possibly ending up with the least impressive of three serious coaching candidates.

Here are four possible reasons why the Lakers are slow-walking their head coaching search and not concerned tweaking the normal head coach hiring process will result in their missing out on the best coaching candidate.

1. Lakers Need LeBron to Approve Extension Before Choosing Coach

The reason the Lakers don’t appear to be in a hurry to decide on a new head coach could be Rob Pelinka and team want to know if LeBron James will sign an extension before deciding who to hire as next head coach.

Legally, the Lakers cannot discuss an extension with LeBron James until August 4th although it would be naïve to think a decision as critical as the King’s extension had not been discussed extensively by Pelinka and Paul. The Lakers’ entire season and near-term future depend on LeBron James signing an extension, even a 1+1 extension, so L.A. will know they will have at the least two more seasons to build a championship team around LeBron.

The assumption was the alliance between the Lakers and Klutch Sports was solid after Klutch and the Lakers both shot down the stories about LeBron possibly leaving the Lakers when his current contract is up next summer. Suddenly we now hear LeBron may not be willing to sign an extension and could prefer continuing to play for the Lakers but on a series of 1-year contracts like he did during his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Frankly, that may not be acceptable to the Lakers as not having a commitment from LeBron could mean they wouldn’t be willing to take back long-term deals they could be stuck with if James were to decide to leave.

2. Lakers’ Preferred Pick Could Be Rookie Head Coach Candidate

The Lakers could be slow-walking their coaching search because they plan to follow the lead of the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets by hiring a rookie head coach and interviewing other candidates is just due diligence.

The rookie head coach the Lakers would hire is Rajon Rondo, the future Hall of Fame point guard extraordinaire whose big-game smarts, fierce competitiveness, and respect as a basketball savant is unchallenged. After nineteen NBA seasons, the timing and opportunity is perfect for Rondo to become the Los Angeles Lakers’ new head coach and to lead LeBron James and Anthony Davis to the franchise’s eighteenth NBA championship.

Rondo has all of the key attributes the Lakers need in their new head coach. He obviously has a great relationship and mutual respect with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, having been the third star in their championship. As former 1st and 2nd team All-Defensive and 3rd team All-NBA player, Rondo shared a similar history and rep as a savvy player as Steve Kerr and Steve Nash and has everything the Lakers need and want in a head coach.

Everybody knows Rondo has the smarts to be a great NBA coach. As a rookie, you’d have to surround him with veteran coaches like the Warriors and Nets did for Kerr and Nash but the timing and opportunity are right.

3. Lakers Already Have a Solid Back Up Candidate for Head Coach

The other reason the Lakers don’t appear to be in a hurry to decide on a new head coach is they already have a solid backup candidate for head coach in assistant coach Phil Handy in case they don’t find anyone better.

NBA Insider Chris Haynes, on an episode of the Dan Patrick Show, revealed a name that has been quietly gaining momentum to replace Frank Vogel when he said “Somebody that they can look at in-house is Phil Handy.” Phil’s “one of the best or arguably the best skill development coaches but he wants to be a head coach in this league. He’s somebody who I’ve seen go at, cuss out LeBron James, Anthony Davis. He has the respect of that duo.”

There’s no question the Lakers’ front office respects Phil Handy. When rumors of Vogel’s firing started back in January, Phil Handy was the man everybody expected to be named as Interim Coach, not David Fizdale. When you look around the league at the assistants who are most in demand and garner the most respect from the players themselves, Phil Handy is going to be near the top of every single list of future NBA head coaches.

While the Lakers are not ready to declare Handy as their next head coach, look for him to be included in upcoming coaching interviews. With Phil as backup, the Lakers feel comfortable slow-walking their coaching search.

4. Lakers Know They Can Always Turn to Kurt Rambis to Coach

The only other possible reason why the Lakers are slow-walking their head coaching search is they believe as a last resort, as crazy as it may seem, they could have Kurt Rambis take over the reigns as the team’s next head coach.

The problem is we can’t use the norms from any large well-run company or organization in predicting whom the Lakers will hire as their next head coach because they run their franchise like a ‘mom and pop’ business. Every general manager or coach they hired since the Buss family took over control of the Lakers had some link or relationship that made them part of the Lakers family. Candidates without that connection don’t count.

We see this in the coaches the Lakers supposedly have some interest, which includes former Lakers’ assistant coach Quin Snyder, Phil Jackson protégé Nick Nurse, former Laker’s coaches Mike D’Antoni and Mike Brown. Each candidate has a connection to one of the members of the Lakers’ brain trust, which includes owner Jeanie Buss, brothers Joey and Jesse Buss, GM Rob Pelinka, Kurt and Linda Rambis, and Magic Johnson and Phil Jackson.

There is a scenario where none of the Lakers’ desired candidates take the coaching gig and the Lakers are forced to take Kurt Rambis away from his important front office duties and have him be the team’s next head coach.

Yes, this option would be the equivalent of big market franchise suicide.

Could Klutch Sports Pull Off a Zach LaVine for Russell Westbrook S&T?

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Let’s play connect the dots. Bull’s superstar Zach LaVine will be a free agent this summer. LaVine’s agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports represents LeBron James and Anthony Davis and has an alliance with the Lakers front office.

Could Zach LaVine become this year’s version of Klutch Sports forcing a trade of another superstar player to the Los Angeles Lakers? What’s to stop Paul from demanding the Bulls sign-and-trade LaVine to Lakers for Russ? While it’s a long shot, would the Lakers double down on trying to create a Superstar Big Three with James, Davis, and LaVine in the immediate aftermath of the James, Davis, and Westbrook Big Three cratering badly?

Knowing the Lakers penchant for stars, Rob Pelinka and Rich Paul would likely salivate at the idea of Zack LaVine joining LeBron James and Anthony Davis to create a Superstar Big Three and expand Klutch/Lakers alliance. With LeBron turning 38 next season, the Lakers pursuit of a third superstar like Zach LaVine could also be viewed as a savvy preemptive step towards finding a needed superstar replacement for James before he retires.

The question is how can the Lakers and Klutch leverage LaVine’s unrestricted free agency status to force the Bulls to trade Zach to the Lakers? Unlike with AD, there’s no way the Lakers can sign him outright. What the Lakers and Klutch can do is ask the Bulls to sign-and-trade Zach LaVine to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Russell Westbrook with their 2027 and 2029 unprotected first round picks as carrots.

The stick would be the threat of LaVine signing as an unrestricted free agent with a third team putting the Bulls in the position of losing their superstar shooting guard to free agency with receiving nothing in return. While there will be several teams with cap space to sign LaVine as a free agent, all Zach has to do to give Los Angeles the leverage it needs to close the deal is to say he will only agree to a sign-and-trade with the Lakers.

That would put the Bulls in the position where they either lose LaVine for nothing or get Westbrook’s valuable expiring contract and two unprotected Post-LeBron James Lakers’ first round picks that could be highly valuable. Alternatively, the Bulls may decide the open cap space now is better than Westbrook and the two picks and pass or negotiate with the Lakers for a sweetener or two, maybe expanding the trade to other teams and players.

The Lakers would be hard capped at $155.2 million in salaries for the year due to receiving LaVine in a sign-and-trade. Swapping Russ’ $47 million for Zach’s $38 million would leave L.A.’s payroll at $141.7 million for 8 players. That would leave them $13.5 million to fill out the roster to at least 14 players. Because they’re hard capped, they would also be able to use the full MLE for $10.2 million and the BAE for $4.0 million up to the hard cap.

The Lakers would then move Horton-Tucker’s $10 million and Kendrick Nunn’s $5 million salaries for a player making around $10 million per year, which would free up cap space so they could use their full MLE and BAE. Being able to add a second new rotation player via a THT trade and third and fourth new rotation players via the $10.2 million MLE and $4.0 million BAE would enable the Lakers to build a better roster around this Big Three.

After the bad press on the Lakers and Klutch after orchestrating the Anthony Davis trade, it’s probably a long shot that Rob Pelinka and Rich Paul would try to force another superstar to be traded to the Lakers. However, there’s probably no other NBA superstar who is better positioned right now than Zach LaVine to pull off a blockbuster strategic move like forcing the Bulls to trade him to the Lakers for Russell Westbrook and picks.

The Lakers and Klutch Sports can double down on their alliance by choreographing a trade with the Chicago Bulls with L.A. getting LaVine and Chicago getting Westbrook and two unprotected first round draft picks.