The Los Angeles Lakers get a rare second chance this summer to surround superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis with three championship quality starters who possess critically needed 3-point shooting and defense.
Professional sports teams rarely get a second chance to do something right they did wrong last time, but that’s exactly where the Los Angeles Lakers will find themselves this summer as they get a mulligan of sorts for last summer. Committed to ending the Westbrook experiment, the Lakers decided at the deadline to hold onto all of their trading chips until summer to improve their chances of being able to swap Russ and pieces for three new starters.
Finding a trading partner for Westbrook should be easier this summer than at the deadline because Russ’ $47 salary suddenly becomes a huge expiring contract coveted by teams looking to clear cap space or dump contracts. Besides Russell Westbrook (Player Option), Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn (Player Option), Austin Reaves, and Stanley Johnson (Team Option), the Lakers will also be able to offer their 2027 and 2029 first round picks.
Whether the Lakers will be able to do this summer what they didn’t do last summer could well determine the future of the franchise. If the Lakers are forced to buyout, waive, and stretch Russ, it could cripple their cap space. On the other hand, if Pelinka can find a team desperate to move good players on long-term deals for expiring contracts, the Laker could have a legitimate chance to correct the mistake they made in trading for Russ.
The key to the Lakers being able to do right this summer what they should have done last summer will be their willingness as a franchise to accept back players with multiple year contracts to move Westbrook’s $47 million contract. That’s the only way the Lakers are going to turn Russ’ expiring contract into an asset and trading chip and not a liability that would cost them valuable draft capital or waive-and-stretch dead cap space to move.
Here are three possible scenarios where the Lakers get a second chance to do what they should have done last summer and surround LeBron and AD with with championship starting players who can shoot, pass, and defend.
1. Trade for Christian Wood, Buddy Hield, and Malcolm Brogdon
Christian Wood, 26-years old, 6′ 9″, 214 lbs
Averaging 17.9/10.1/2.2 in 31.2 mpg
Shooting 49.4%/38.1%/60.8% on 4.9 3PA
Buddy Hield, 29-years old 6′ 4″, 220 lbs
Averaging 15.2/4.3/2.5 in 39.2 mpg
Shooting 47.5%/36.8%/91.7% on 8.6 3PA
Malcolm Brogdon, 29-years old, 6′ 5″, 229 lbs
Averaging 19.1/5.3/6.0 in 33.6 mpg
Shooting 44.6%/37.7%/88.1% on 5.2 3PA
The Lakers’ best option to redo what they did wrong last offseason is to trade Russ, THT, Nunn, and their 2027 and 2029 first round picks for three new starters in Christian Wood, Buddy Hield, and Malcolm Brogdon.
By trading Russ’ $47 million expiring contract and their 2027 first round pick to the Indiana Pacers in a salary dump for Buddy Hield and Malcolm Brogdon, the Lakers can miraculously reverse last summer’s big trade. They not only get out of Russ’ contract but get the perfect two-way point guard in Malcolm Brogdon and volume 3-point sharpshooter in Buddy Hield, the shooting guard the Lakers almost traded for instead of Russ last summer.
The best player in these trades and difference-maker in this Lakers’ rebuilding scenario is Christian Wood, whom the Lakers get from the Rockets in exchange for Horton-Tucker, Nunn, and their 2029 first round pick. Christian not only gives the Lakers the athletic big they were missing to make their small-ball-on-steroids lineups work but also a second elite shot-blocking stretch center to share the four and five with Anthony Davis.
A starting lineup for next season of Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Christian Wood would be the dramatic upgrade in offensive firepower and defensive rim protection the Lakers need. While they gave up THT and Nunn, the Lakers should still have a solid group of valuable young role players coming off the bench, including Malik Monk, Austin Reaves, and Stanley Johnson, along with veteran Carmelo Anthony.
Trading for Wood, Hield, and Brogdon should be the Lakers’ top option to upgrade next season’s starting lineup. They give the Lakers the 3-point shooting, rim protection, and perimeter defense they need to win it all.
2. Trade for Jerami Grant, Evan Fournier, and Kemba Walker
Jerami Grant, 27-years old, 6′ 8″, 210 lbs
Averaging 19.1/4.1/2.6 in 32.3 mpg
Shooting 42.0%/34.0%/83.9% on 5.3 3PA
Kemba Walker, 31-years old, 6′ 0″, 184 lbs
Averaging 11.6/3.0/3.5 in 25.6 mpg
Shooting 40.3%/36.7%/84.8% on 5.4 3PA
Evan Fournier, 29-years old 6′ 6″, 205 lbs
Averaging 15.2/4.3/2.5 in 39.2 mpg
Shooting 42.0%/39.0%/69.9% on 7.6 3PA
The Lakers’ next option to redo what they did wrong last offseason is trade Westbrook, Horton-Tucker, Nunn, and their 2027 and 2029 first round picks for three new starters in Jerami Grant, Evan Fournier, and Kemba Walker.
By trading Russ’ $47 million expiring contract to the Knicks in a salary dump for Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, Nerlens Noel, and Cam Reddish, the Lakers could avoid sacrificing a first round pick to move Westbrook. Instead, they essentially break Westbrook’s $47 million contract into four separate contracts for $9.1 million, $10.0 million, $18.0 million, and $5.9 million that they can keep or flip or aggregate for different players.
The star player the Lakers land in this rebuilding scenario is 27-year old Jerami Grant, who is the bigger 3&D wing the Lakers desperately need to complement their LeBron James and Anthony Davis small ball lineups. Jerami gives the Lakers the small forward they have missed who can score from all three levels and, most importantly, give the Lakers the elite wing defender who can guard bigger scoring wings like Kawhi Leonard.
A starting lineup for next season of Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, Jerami Grant, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis would be a major upgrade over the Lakers’ current starters, especially in 3-point shooting and firepower. While they lost THT, Johnson, and Nunn, the Lakers still have solid help off the bench in returnees Malik Monk, Austin Reaves, and Carmelo Anthony and new additions from the Knicks in Cam Reddish and Alex Burks.
Trading for Grant, Fournier, and Walker should be a top option for Lakers to upgrade next season’s starting lineup. They give the starting lineup a huge boost in offensive firepower and high volume 3-point shooting.
3. Trade for Christian Wood, Eric Gordon, and John Wall
Christian Wood, 26-years old, 6′ 9″, 214 lbs
Averaging 17.9/10.1/2.2 in 31.2 mpg
Shooting 49.4%/38.1%/60.8% on 4.9 3PA
Eric Gordon, 33-years old, 6′ 3″, 215lbs
Averaging 13.9/2.0/2. 8 in 29.8 mpg
Shooting 47.6%/41.1%/77.1% on 5.4 3PA
John Wall, 31-years old 6′ 3″, 210 lbs
Averaging 20.6/3.2/6.9 in 32.2 mpg
Shooting 40.4%/31.7%/74.9% on 6.2 3PA
The Lakers’ third option to redo what they did wrong last offseason is to trade Westbrook, THT, Nunn, Johnson, and their 2027 and 2029 first round picks for three new starters in Christian Wood, Eric Gordon, and John Wall.
The Lakers are essentially swapping Russell Westbrook and their 2027 first round pick for John Wall and Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, Stanley Johnson, and their 2029 first round pick for Eric Gordon and Christian Wood. Wood, Gordon, and Wall would be a massive upgrade for the Lakers’ starting lineup over this season. Suddenly, the Lakers would not only boast better spacing and 3-point shooting but also better interior and perimeter defense.
There’s a lot to like about this trade for the Lakers. They get a proven quality point guard replacement for Westbrook in John Wall, a starting stretch five center in Christian Wood to let LeBron and AD play their preferred positions. The Lakers get an elite high volume, high percentage 3-point shooter in veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon, who averaged over 40% on over five 3-point attempts per game while defending multiple positions at an elite level.
A starting lineup for next season of John Wall, Eric Gordon, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Christian Wood could be a championship team with the lethal firepower and rim protection and perimeter defense the Lakers need. While they gave up THT, Nunn, and Johnson, the Lakers should still have a solid group of valuable role players coming off the bench, including young Malik Monk and Austin Reaves and elite veteran Carmelo Anthony.
Trading for Wood, Gordon, and Wall should be one of the Lakers’ options to upgrade next season’s starting lineup. This is a deal the Lakers should seriously consider to add three championship quality starters.
The one interesting option I did not address in my article was the benefit of buying out and then stretching and waiving Russ, which would then allow the Lakers to use their two first round draft picks on three new starters.
While I’m not a fan of W&S for as big a contract as Russ;, it could appeal to the Lakers because they could then re-sign Monk for $10.2M, which would hard cap the Lakers and save mucho tax dollars, which we know Jeanie loves to do.
A third option I like is John Wall buying out his contract with Houston and then signing for the minimum with the Lakers. That could be a great move for both Wall and the Lakers.
Worth a try.
https://twitter.com/LakerTom/status/1502432468602814464
You keep acting as if it’s a sure thing Nunn opts in.
$5 Million reasons to exercise player option.
Imagine if the Lakers had three quality starters next season alongside LeBron and AD like Wood, Hield, and Brogdon or Grant, Fournier, and Walker. That would mean that Reaves, Monk, and Johnson would be our bench and not our other starters. Three new starters would be a monster upgrade for the Lakers.
That’s the big difference right now. The Lakers lack legitimate NBA championship starters and size at the 1, 2, and 3 positions. Fix that this summer and the Lakers will win #18.