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Not a good one

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at all. AD out for? Not sure any trade can help if it’s not a GAME CHANGER. Too many TO’s and LBJ has too many by himself! He either needs rest or not making silly hard to make passes. He has to think better.

NBA trade deadline tiers: Deal scenarios, outlooks for all 30 teams

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Los Angeles Lakers
Recent transaction:

Traded D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks (2027, 2030, 2031) to Brooklyn for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton

Keep an eye on: First-round picks and Christian Wood

The addition of Finney-Smith accomplished two goals off the court. It gave the team more flexibility below the second apron, and, more importantly, it preserved its first-round picks (2029 and 2031) that are available to trade. The Lakers can also swap first-round picks in five different years.

A two-step process is next. The first should be opening a roster spot. That could come at the expense of Wood, who was signed to a two-year veteran minimum contract last season but hasn’t played since last February. The Lakers would save $11 million toward the luxury tax if Wood were traded and have $6.5 million in room below the second apron.

The second is for GM Rob Pelinka to determine if the return of Jarred Vanderbilt plugs a hole in the frontcourt, or if there’s a center they can acquire. The Lakers are allowing the third-most points in the paint and the fifth-most second-chance points.

In an interview with ESPN’s Shams Charania, Anthony Davis stressed that the Lakers need another big. “I feel like I’ve always been at my best when I’ve been the 4, having a big out there.”

Davis has played 96% of his minutes at center this season. In the title-winning 2019-20 season, he played 40% of his minutes at center.

Before the season, Pelinka made it clear that their first-round picks were in play.

“We would do a trade with both picks if that would lead to sustained Lakers excellence,” Pelinka said. “We would also use one pick to make a marginal upgrade if we felt like it was the right thing to do.”

Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura have salaries between $10.7 million to $17 million. Vanderbilt is owed $37 million after this season, and Vincent and Hachimura are under contract through 2025-26.

One trade that works

Los Angeles Lakers receive:
Myles Turner

Indiana receives:
Rui Hachimura
2029 top-5 protected first

Toronto receives:
Jalen Hood-Schifino
2029 second from Portland

There is certainly a risk-reward with acquiring Turner. The risk comes with the Lakers having one future first-round pick to trade. Turner is also a pending free agent and could leave this summer. (The Lakers can sign Turner and exceed the cap in the offseason.) But the reward is Turner can complement Davis. Turner is shooting a career-high 39.3% from 3 and averaging almost two blocks per game.