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Darvin’s Rotations With LeBron and Rui Playing Center Are Killing Lakers

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The Lakers are alarmingly losing the LeBron James minutes and rookie coach Darvin Ham is not helping the situation by asking LeBron James and Rui Hachimura to play center versus Jaren Jackson, Jr. and Xavier Tillman.

In this new era of NBA parity, the Lakers and Grizzlies are evenly matched, which puts enormous pressure on Lakers’ rookie head coach Darvin Ham as one bad substitution or poor rotation could cost the team a playoff win.
That’s exactly what we saw last night when, with 4:10 left in the 3rd quarter and Lakers down by 1, Darvin Ham pulled Anthony Davis and went with a 5-player lineup of Schroder, Reaves, Brown, Jr., James, and Hachimura.

One minute and 29 seconds later, at 2:41, a panicked Darvin Ham put Anthony Davis back in the game but it was too late as the Grizzlies then led by 8 points and were able to increase that lead to 18 points by end of 3rd.
Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident as Tayler Jenkins has often taken advantage of Darvin Ham’s using James and Hachimura as backup center by making sure Jackson, Jr. was on the court whenever AD rested.

So heading into a ‘must win’ Game 6 on Friday night, Darvin Ham needs to do a better job tightening his rotations, winning the LeBron James minutes, and getting better rim protection when Anthony Davis goes to the bench.

Tightening Lakers’ Rotations

After losing Game 5, Darvin Ham promised the Lakers would go all out, play their superstars more, and tighten their rotations to win Game 6 and end their first round series with the Grizzlies in Los Angeles Friday night.

The above charts shows the average minutes per game for each player currently in the Lakers rotation for the regular season, the playoffs, and a recommended projected minutes per game for the rest of the playoffs.
The new rotation represents a narrowing of the rotation from 10 players to 9 players and a needed reallocation of 19.0 minutes from Brown and Beasley to James, Davis, Russell, Vanderbilt, Schroder, and Bamba.

Ham needs to narrow the rotation to 9 players, replace Beasley with Bamba who can provide both backup rim protection and floor spacing, and give more minutes to James, Davis, Russell, and other stalwart contributors.

Winning LeBron James Minutes

Since LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, he’s consistently led the Lakers in net rating. Lebron finished the regular season with a +4.6 net rating but has seen his net rating in the playoffs drop down to a -1.5.

Part of the problem is James is still struggling to recover from the foot injury that sidelined him for 13 games. While LeBron had MVP level plays to win Game 4, he totally ran out of gas and was unable to finish Game 5.
Whether James can recover fully and soon enough to be a difference maker in Game 6 could be in question because LeBron will only have one day of rest and covery time before Friday’s game back at Crypto.com Arena.

Two things Darvin Ham can do to help win the LeBron James minutes is to not play him without at least two of Davis, Reaves, Russell, and Bamba in the lineup and not play him in a lineup with he or Hachimura at center.

Better Backup Rim Protection

One of the more preplexing personnel decisions by Los Angeles Lakers’ rookie head coach Darvin Ham has been his decision to give the backup center minutes to power forwards LeBron James and Rui Hachimura.

Anthony Davis is playing 100% of his 38.0 minutes per game in the playoffs at center. That leaves 10 disastrous minutes each game that Darvin Ham goes small and plays either LeBron James or Rui Hachimura at center.
The Lakers are getting killed whenever AD is on the bench and LeBron or Rui plays center because Tayler Jenkins immediaetly takes advantage by making sure Jaren Jackson, Jr. is in the game when the Lakers go small.

Coach Darvin Ham needs to give Mo Bamba the backup center minutes rather than going small with LeBron James or Rui Hachimura at center for both this series and future series against teams with bigger front courts.

How Much Can Darvin Ham Grow?

Darvin Ham has done a terrific job as the rookie head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, especially considering the complications of coaching Russell Westbrook and the chaos caused by injuries to LeBron and AD.

Slowly but surely, Ham has been able to reverse many of his early rookie decisions and has shown impressive management and leadership skills as he continues to grow and prosper as the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach.
Word is already out that Ham and his staff are actively reevaluating their lineups with a goal of narrowing the rotation, winning the LeBron James minutes, and getting better more consistent backup rim protection.

The moves Darvin Ham and his staff make to stablize and optimize their lineups and rotations could not only put the Lakers in position to win their 18th NBA championship this season but also start building a new dynasty.

Will Pelinka’s Trade Deadline Deals Be Enough For Lakers To Make Playoffs?

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There’s no question Rob Pelinka put together a masterclass series of trades that could transform the Los Angeles Lakers from a team doomed to miss the playoffs to one with a puncher’s long-shot chance to win everything.

The questions left to be answered are whether the trades were good enough to transform the Lakers into legitimate contenders and whether the trades were done soon enough for Lakers to have time to get to playoffs.
Los Angeles essentially traded Westbrook, Beverley, Bryant, and three non-rotation players plus a protected first round pick for six new players, five of whom will become major players in their starting lineup and rotation.

At first glance, Pelinka clearly addressed the Lakers’ desperate needs for size, shooting, and defense while giving up only one lightly protected first round draft pick while smartly positioning the Lakers for next offseason.
The only problem is there is just 26 games left in the season for the Lakers to integrate 5 new players into their starting lineup and rotation and there’s simply no time left for Ham to play with lineups as the Lakers have to win.

Right now, the Lakers are 25–31 and 13th in the West, 2.5 games out of the #10 seed and the Play-In Tournament and 4.5 games out of the #6 seed and a guaranteed spot in the playoff with 26 games left in the regular season.
Starting tonight in San Francisco, the Lakers will finally have their full roster available, including both superstars and the players for whom they traded. To make the playoffs, the Lakers have to win almost every game.

Let’s take a closer look at Rob Pelinka’s master class for GM’s, the Lakers’ new roster and likely rotations, the team’s chances of winning their 18th NBA championship this season, and how they’re building for the future.

Rob Pelinka’s General Manager Masterclass

Rob Pelinka deserves credit for giving NBA general managers a masterclass in how to give a two-superstar team with a poorly constructed roster a shot to get into the playoffs and have a puncher’s chance to win everything.

Redeeming himself after the potentially career-ending mistake he made in trading for Russell Westbrook last summer, Rob not only got the players he needed to land but also won the negotiating wars to acquire those players.
Pelinka has received universal praise for acquiring five legitimate rotation players like Hachimura, Russell, Beasley, Vanderbilt, and Bamba who are all young and athletic for just one lightly protected Lakers’ first round pick.

The challenge in any trade is getting the right player. Rob smartly brought the Timberwolves into the Utah Jazz trade so the Lakers would be able to trade for 26-year old D’Angelo Russell rather than 35-year old Mike Conley.
Pelinka also gets high grades for stealing 23-year old #9 draft pick Rui Hachimura from the Wizards and 24-year old #6 draft pick Mo Bamba from the Magic for just expiring contracts and multiple second round picks.

Hopefully, this will be the Rob Pelinka we’re going to see going forward. These were not ‘LeBron’ moves. Nor were they ‘Jeanie’ moves. These were Rob’s smartly executed moves to improve the Lakers today and tomorrow.
They were also moves that show a head of basketball operations who may finally be in control and doing what is part of a vision and plan and not just transactional responses due to a frugal, indecisive, or short-sighted owner.

While Rob received heavy criticism for trading for Westbrook last season and poorly constructing the Lakers’ roster the past two years, he redeemed himself with a masterclass in how to give a team an extreme makeover.

Lakers’ Revamped Roster and Rotations

What immediately jumps out when you look at the depth chart for the Lakers’ roster after the trade is how much younger and bigger they’ve become. Lakers’ average age and size are now 25-years old and 6′ 6″.

The biggest two new additions to the Lakers will be likely be point guard D’Angelo Russell and center Mo Bamba. Russell starting at point will enable Schröder to replace Westbrook as the team’s 6th man coming off the bench.
Mo Bamba will start because the Lakers traded for him to give Anthony Davis a front court mate to lesson his workload, reduce the physicality of playing the five, and provide insurance in case Davis gets injured again.

While the Lakers have not announced who would start, the case for starting Bamba is compelling, starting with the Lakers knowing their slim hopes of winning the championship this season rest entirely on AD staying healthy. Pairing AD with a center like Bamba also gives the Lakers max positional size advantage in the front court. Davis gets to play his preferred power forward position and Ham gets to run his preferred two-bigs offense.

The above depth chart shows a projected starting lineup of 6′ 4″ D’Angelo Russell at the one, 6′ 5″ Austin Reaves at the two, 6′ 9″ LeBron James at the three, 6′ 10″ Anthony Davis at the four, and 7′ 0“ Mo Bamba at the five.
That lineup averages 6′ 8” in size and 7′ 1″ in wingspan, has 2 outstanding defenders in Davis and Reaves, 2 elite rim protectors in Davis and Bamba, and 3 high percentage 3-point shooters in Russell, Reaves, and Bamba.

The Lakers used the trades to upgrade their bench as Schroder takes over at point guard, Malik Beasley at shooting guard, Rui Hachimura at small forward, and Jarred Vanderbilt as power forward become primary backups.
Beasley is a lethal high volume 3-point shooter, Hachimura a 3/4 with size who can shoot, and Vanderbilt a 4/5 defensive Swiss Army knife. All three are good enough to challenge Mo Bamba to be the Lakers’ fifth starter.

One of the Lakers goals in rebuilding their starting lineup and rotation was to get younger, deeper, and more athletic and versatile. As you can see from the above depth chart, the Lakers extreme makeover was a huge success.

Lakers’ Chances of Winning This Season

Most observers believe the Lakers dramatically upgraded their roster but don’t believe the moves they made were good enough or done soon enough for the 25–31 Lakers to win enough games to still make the NBA playoffs.

What everybody agrees upon is the Lakers need to start winning right now or they will have no chance of making the playoffs. There’s no time to play around with various lineups or rotations. Darvin Ham needs to be decisive.
Fortunately, Ham worked closely with Pelinka in developing the Lakers’ plan to retool the team’s roster so Darvin probably already knows who’s likely to start and who’s likely to backup whom, matchups notwithstanding.

While every single of the 26 games remaining on the schedule is critical, the 25–31 Lakers first priority is win 8 of their next 10 games and raise their win-loss record to 33–33. Do that and they’re likely in the Play-In Tourney.
The Lakers’ second priority is to to win 12 of their remaining 16 games, which would push their record to 45–37, which would give them a top-6 playoff seed at best or a #7 or #8 seed in the Play-In Tournament at worst.

To make the playoffs or favorable seed in the Play-In, the Lakers will likely have to win 20 of their remaining 26 games, which at first glance seems near impossible. In other words, the Lakers have a puncher’s chance.
But really, that’s all the Lakers have wanted in this injury plagued season, a chance to see what they could do with a healthy and dominant LeBron James and Anthony Davis and a roster that complemented them.

Frankly, a healthy and dominant James and Davis with a complementary supporting roster has always been the Lakers’ championship formula. They may be a long shot but if they get to the playoffs, they could win it all.

Lakers Vision for Future

The major accomplishment by Rob Pelinka was not just making over a roster to win right now but also simultaneously establishing a bold vision for the next decade of Lakers’ basketball and building for the future.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been rightly criticized as a team that’s always in win-now mode and perennially sacrificing the future for the present. We now know all the talk about investing in the future was not just posturing.
Pelinka changed all of that with the moves he made this trade deadline. He not only fixed most of the Lakers’ size, shooting, and defensive issues but did so with bigger, younger, and more versatile and athletic players.

Aside from making over the roster, Rob also was able to get everybody in the Lakers’ front office on the same page financially, including committing to become a repeat taxpayer and to re-signing the players they traded for.
That’s a major strategic change for the Lakers, who prioritized cap space and often refused to trade for players unless on expiring contracts. The Lakers finally understand they need continuity to grow and get better.

While the Lakers are focused on building a deep and diverse team, they still have dreams of a third superstar. The trade for D’Angelo Russell was in part to get ready for a summer sign-and-trade with Dallas for Kyrie Irving.
Similarly, the all-out effort by the Lakers to keep their 2029 first round draft pick so they could pair it with their 2023 first round pick on draft day is part of a designed strategy by Pelinka and the Lakers to acquire Kyrie Irving.

While Pelinka’s received universal praise for terrific job he and his team did in transforming the roster to legitimate contender status, Rob’s greatest accomplishment was how well he’s positioned the Lakers for the future.

Lakers Are On the Clock But Which Teams Fit Best As Trading Partners?

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With LeBron James still dominating at 38 and Anthony Davis looking like the league MVP and DPOY, the Los Angeles Lakers may not need as much help to become a legitimate contender as their front office once thought.

What’s changed the Lakers front office thinking has not only been the top-5 superstar level play of James and Davis but also the recent breakout play received from Thomas Bryant, Dennis Schröder, and Russell Westbrook.
Bryant and Schröder have probably earned starting roles at center and point guard. Even without trades, Schröder, Reaves, James, Davis, and Bryant should be good enough as starters to finish as a top-6 seed.

Ironically, the development and evolution of the above starting lineup was the silver lining in the Lakers’ poor start to the season. Credit Ham and his player development oriented staff for emergence of this starting fivesome.
In camp, Westbrook, Walker, James, Davis, and Jones were the projected starters. but a slow start, Russ going to the bench, and James and Davis getting injured opened doors for Thomas Bryant and Dennis Schröder.

The Lakers still need a volume 3-point shooting two-guard like Hield or Burks, a bigger 3&D wing like Anunoby or Kuzma, and a true stretch five center like Turner or Bamba who can protect the rim when Davis is out.
While the Lakers are supposedly willing to give up their two first round picks for a third star like Zach LaVine or Bradley Beal, they’re more likely now to make a smaller trade involving Beverley, Nunn, and one pick.

The major negotiating point in every single one of these deals is going to be whether the Lakers will give up an unprotected pick because Beverley, Nunn, and Jones have no value other than their contract is expiring.
The Lakers should expect every team to demand an unprotected pick. There will be good trades to be made where the Lakers can still keep some protection but the Lakers should expect to have to give up protections.

A Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and one-pick trade just needs a single trading partner who has a package of players the Lakers covet. Here are the five teams who are the best fits to trade with the Lakers before the deadline:

1. Toronto Raptors

The Los Angeles Lakers best potential trading partner is the Toronto Raptors and their best trade is Beverley, Walker, Nunn, and the Lakers’ 2027 first round pick unprotected for Gary Trent, Jr. and Chris Boucher.

The Lakers give up an unprotected first round pick but receive in return a 23-year old 3&D shooting guard in Gary Trent, Jr. who averages 18.5 points per game and is a 38.5% career 3-point shooter on over 7 threes per game.
The Lakers also receive a 29-year old versatile forward/center in Chris Boucher who averaged 9.7 points, 5.7 boards, and 0.7 blocks per game in 20.9 minutes per game and can play both forwards and small ball center.

The Raptors are rebuilding around Scottie Barnes and are willing to trade everybody else. While the Lakers would be willing to give up both of their first round picks for Anunoby, this is a deal the Raptors should accept.

LAKERS DEPTH CHART AFTER TRADE:

PG: Dennis Schröder / Russell Westbrook / Open
SG: GARY TRENT JR / Austin Reaves / Lonnie Walker IV
SF: LeBron James / Troy Brown Jr / Max Christie
PF: Anthony Davis / Wenyen Gabriel / Juan Toscano-Anderson
CE: Thomas Bryant / CHRIS BOUCHER / Open

2. Detroit Pistons

The Los Angeles Lakers next best potential trading partner is the Detroit Pistons and their best trade is Beverley, Nunn, Jones and the Lakers 2027 first round pick unprotected for Bojan Bogdanovic and Saddiq Bey.

The Lakers give up an unprotected first round pick but receive a 33-year old 3&D small forward in Bojan Bogdanovic who averages 21.0 points per game and is a 39.4% career 3-point shooter on close to 7 attempts per game.
The Lakers also receive a 23-year old backup small forward in Saddiq Bey, who averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 boards, and 0.9 steals in 28.3 minutes per game and is a career 35.4% shooter from deep on 6 threes per game.

The Pistons wanted an unprotected first round pick to trade Bogdanovic. The Lakers give up the unprotected first round pick as quid pro quo for the Pistons including young 3&D wing Saddiq Bey as part of the transaction.

LAKERS DEPTH CHART AFTER TRADE:

PG: Dennis Schröder / Russell Westbrook / Open
SG: Austin Reaves / Lonnie Walker IV / Max Christie
SF: BOJAN BOGDANOVIC / SADDIQ BEY / Troy Brown Jr
PF: LeBron James / Wenyen Gabriel / Juan Toscano-Anderson
CE: Anthony Davis / Thomas Bryant / Open

3. Indiana Pacers

The Los Angeles Lakers next potential trading partner is the Indiana Pacers and their single best trade is Beverley, Nunn, Jones and the Lakers’ 2027 first round pick unprotected for Indiana center Myles Turner.

The Lakers give up an unprotected first round pick but receive a 26-year old stretch five center in Myles Turner who averages 17.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 37.9% on close to 4 attempts per game.
Where Turner will have the greatest impact, however, will be on the Lakers’ defense. Pairing him with Anthony Davis will essentially enable the Lakers to put a lid on their basket for all 48 minutes of every single game.

The Pacers have demanded one first round pick for taking on Westbrook’s contract and one pick for Myles Turner. Indiana should have no problem accepting expiring contracts and an unprotected first for Myles Turner.

LAKERS DEPTH CHART AFTER TRADE:

PG: Dennis Schröder / Russell Westbrook / Max Christie
SG: Austin Reaves / Lonnie Walker IV / Open
SF: LeBron James / Troy Brown Jr / Open
PF: Anthony Davis / Wenyen Gabriel / Juan Toscano-Anderson
CE: MYLES TURNER / Thomas Bryant / Open

4. San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are also an excellent trading partner for the Los Angeles Lakers and their best trade is Beverley, Nunn, Jones and the 2027 first round pick unprotected for Jakob Poeltl and Josh Richardson.

The Lakers give up an unprotected first round pick but receive an elite 27-year old defensive center in Jakob Poeltl, who averages 11.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 26.4 minutes per game and shoots over 60%.
The Lakers also receive a 29-year old 6′ 6″ shooting guard with a 6′ 10″ wingspan in Josh Richardson, who’s also an outstanding defender and career 36.5% 3-point shooter and has the size to play small forward.

The Spurs are in a complete rebuild and expiring contracts and a post-LeBron James unprotected Lakers first round draft pick should be enough for them to trade Jakob Poeltl and Josh Richardson to Los Angeles.

LAKERS DEPTH CHART AFTER TRADE:

PG: Dennis Schröder / Russell Westbrook / Max Christie
SG: JOSH RICHARDSON / Austin Reaves / Lonnie Walker IV
SF: LeBron James / Troy Brown Jr / Open
PF: Anthony Davis / Wenyen Gabriel / Juan Toscano-Anderson
CE: Thomas Bryant / JAKOB POELTL / Open

5. Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic are also an excellent trading partner for the Los Angeles Lakers and their best trade is Beverley, Nunn, Jones and the Lakers’ 2027 unprotected pick for Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross.

The Lakers give up an unprotected pick but receive a talented 24-year old backup center in Mo Bamba, who averages 7.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 18.3 minutes per game and shoots over 37% from deep.
The Lakers also receive a 31-year old 6′ 7″ shooting guard in Terrence Ross, who’s also a good defender and career 36.2% 3-point shooter on over 4 attempts per game with the size to play shooting guard or small forward.

The Magic are in a complete rebuild so expiring contracts and a post-LeBron James unprotected Lakers first round draft pick should be enough for them to trade Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross to Los Angeles.

LAKERS DEPTH CHART AFTER TRADE:

PG: Dennis Schröder / Russell Westbrook / Max Christie
SG: TERRENCE ROSS / Austin Reaves / Lonnie Walker IV
SF: LeBron James / Troy Brown Jr / Open
PF: Anthony Davis / Wenyen Gabriel / Juan Toscano-Anderson
CE: Thomas Bryant / MO BAMBA/ Open

6. Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bull are also a potential Los Angeles Lakers trading partner and their best potential trade for Beverley, Nunn, Jones, Walker, and the Lakers’ unprotected 2027 first round pick for DeMar DeRozan.

While some might question the fit, the Lakers have long coveted DeMar DeRozan and almost traded for him instead of Russell Westbrook last summer. Here’s a DeRozan trade that does not include Russell Westbrook.
Instead, the Lakers add Lonnie Walker to the package to make salaries match. DeRozan averaged 26.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 36.0 minutes per game. He’s not a good 3-point shooter but an elite scorer

The Bulls aren’t ready to trade LaVine but would probably jump at the chance to trade DeRozan for the Lakers 2027 unprotected first round pick. Despite no deep threat, DeRozan would make the Lakers dangerous.

LAKERS DEPTH CHART AFTER TRADE:

PG: Dennis Schröder / Russell Westbrook / Open
SG: Austin Reaves / Max Christie / Open
SF: DEMAR DEROZAN / Troy Brown Jr / Open
PF: LeBron James / Wenyen Gabriel / Juan Toscano-Anderson
CE: Anthony Davis / Thomas Bryant / Open

Two Trades Lakers Must Make Now to Survive Until Anthony Davis Returns

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The Lakers have only won two of the seven games they’ve played since Anthony Davis injured his foot against Denver on December 16, leaving them at 14–21 with 10 games before AD’s earliest possible return.

Frankly, unless the Lakers immediately make a move to add desperately needed size, shooting, and defense in the front court, there is little chance they’ll be close enough at the trade deadline to still make the playoffs.
The numbers are daunting. The Lakers are 7 games under .500 now and need to be .500 by the deadline to have enough time to make the playoffs, which means winning at least 14 of the 20 games before February 9th.

There are two moves the Lakers could make right now to land a starting quality center to fill in and backup AD when he returns and new starting and backup 3&D wings to upsize and upgrade the small forward position.
The cost for making these moves would include the expiring contracts of Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, and Damian Jones plus the Lakers 2027 first round pick, with protection if the pick ends being a top-10 pick.

By making these two trades, the Lakers should be able to win enough games to survive the loss of Anthony Davis and keep their hopes of winning their 18th NBA championship alive while still building for the future.

1. Trade for Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross

While Thomas Bryant has done a good job filling in for AD offensively, the Lakers desperately need an immediate trade for size and defense at center and small forward positions if they hope to survive until the trade deadline.

Trading for Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross would give the Lakers two young legitimate starter quality players who can shoot the three and defend their positions to help the team whether the storm until Anthony Davis returns.
Most importantly, the Magic trade would only cost the Lakers three players in Beverley, Nunn, and Jones who had not lived up to expectations and were not needed and a first round draft pick but with top-10 protections.

Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross add size, shooting, and defense. The 24-year old, 7′ 0″, 230 lbs Bamba is shooting 38.7% on 3.0 3PA per game. He is also blocking 1.0 shots and making 0.3 steals in just 19.0 minutes per game.
The 31-year old, 6′ 6″, 206 lbs. Ross has split his time between shooting guard and small forward and is shooting 34.9% on 4.0 3PA per game while playing solid team defense. Lakers are suddenly bigger and better.

By trading for Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross, the Lakers dramatically upgrade their starting lineup with size, shooting, and defense to help the team survive until Anthony Davis is returns from his foot injury.

Mo Bamba, CE, 24 years old, 7′ 0″ 231 lbs
8.1/5.4/1.0/1.0/0.3 on 5.9/3.0/1.5 shots for 50.0%/38.4%/68.2%

Terrence Ross, SF, 31 years old, 6′ 6″ 206 lbs
8.0/2.0/1.3 on 7.5/4.0/0.5 shots for 41.7%/34.9%/70.6%

2. Trade for Cam Reddish

The second trade the Lakers should make is to trade Lonnie Walker IV, whom the Lakers will likely lose to free agency because they do not have his Bird rights, for Cam Reddish, who fortunately has his Bird rights.

The trade is a win for both the Knicks and the Lakers. The Lakers get a 23-year old 3&D wing who was a lottery pick and shows promise both as a 3-point shooter and as a wing defender. The Lakers get size and defense.
The Knicks get a young shooting guard enjoying a breakout season, whom they can extend after trading for him or sign with cap space this summer. Either way, the Knicks get a rising young star for a player they didn’t want.

In many ways, Reddish would likely start as the backup small forward behind veteran Terrence Ross. Because Reddish will become a free agent this summer, the Lakers need to extend or re-sign him with Bird rights.
The purpose of this trade is to get rid of a guard who did not have Bird rights and could not be re-signed for a forward with Bird rights who could be re-signed. Lakers choose not to lose Walker for nothing like Monk.

Trading Lonnie Walker IV for Cam Reddish is a win-win move for the Lakers and the Knicks. Both teams should be thrilled to get a talented young player who fits their needs and whom they could easily re-sign.

Cam Reddish, SF, 23-years old, 6′ 8″ 217 lbs
8.4/1.6/1.0 on 6.8/2.8/1.7 shots for 44.9%/30.4%/87.9%

3. The Depth Chart

The net impact of the trades is the Lakers trade Walker, Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and their 2027 first round draft pick with top-10 protection for three quality rotation players in Mo Bamba, Terrence Ross, and Cam Reddish.

The two trades not only give the Lakers a starting quality center in Bamba to fill in for the injured Anthony Davis and then back him up when he returns but also starting and backup 3&D wings to play small forward.
Until Davis returns, which hopefully will be in mid-January, Bamba can be the Lakers’ starting center with Ross as the team’s starting small forward. That should be a dramatic upgrade of the starting lineup until AD returns.

Once Davis comes back, the Lakers will have the versatility to play Bamba and Davis together in a two-big jumbo lineup or go super small on steroids with AD at the five, James at the four, and Ross or Reddish at the three.
One huge advantage of adding Bamba is the Lakers will be able to stagger his minutes with Anthony Davis so they will have an elite rim protector and shot blocker at center on the court for all 48 minutes of every game.

Trading for Bamba, Ross, and Reddish adds critical size, shooting, and defense to the Lakers’ starting lineup and 10-man rotation while only costing expiring contracts and a top-10 protected first round pick.

3. The Trade Deadline

While Mo Bamba, Terrence Ross, and Cam Reddish would be excellent fits for what the Lakers need and quality upgrades to add depth to the roster, none of them fill the Lakers need for a third star to help carry the team.

If trading for Mamba, Ross, and Reddish keeps the season alive, the Lakers must go-all in at the deadline and trade Westbrook and their remaining first round pick to get a needed third star or multiple elite rotation players.
While the Lakers would love to get a chance to trade for a LaVine or Beal, they’d be better off if they were able to trade Westbrook and the 2029 to the Toronto Raptors for a package of VanVleet, Trent, Jr., and Boucher.

The trade landscape could dramatically change over the six weeks between today and February 9, 2023. Buyers may suddenly become sellers and players who were thought to be untouchable may become available.
If the Lakers are going to win, they must always be looking to get better and be in perpetual team building mode. Every move just has to fit in a long-term template or formula that balances size, shooting, and defense.

Finally, the Lakers need to accept trading Westbrook and the pick will give them a shot at winning a championship and leave them with a better roster than if they kept Russ and used $35 million in cap space to sign free agents.

The Best Trade the Lakers Could Make Right Now to Keep This Season Alive!

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The best trade the Los Angeles Lakers could make right now to keep this season alive would be swapping Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, and Damian Jones to the Orlando Magic for Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross.

Not only would the trade give the Lakers a 3&D wing to start at small forward but also a floor stretching, rim protecting center to replace Anthony Davis in the short term and back him up when he returns.
With Ross starting at small forward and Bamba at center, the Lakers suddenly would add desperately needed size and shooting. The 7′ 0″ Mo Bamba shoots 39.0% while the 6′ 6″ Ross shoots 40.9% from deep.

Trading for Bamba and Ross filled both of the Lakers’ primary rotation holes. In fact, there may not be another trade that could net the Lakers a starting small forward and reserve center to fill in and then backup AD.

Why Bamba and Ross?

The Lakers’ plan is to trade Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and a protected first round pick for a player(s) with a combined salary of around $20 million per year who can provide them with needed size, shooting, and defense.

The Lakers have long coveted Indiana Pacers’ center Myles Turner, who is on an expiring $18.0 million contract. Trading for Turner would require L.A. to extend Turner, who will likely demand over $20 million per year.
With Anthony Davis finally established as the Lakers’ starting center, the Lakers are unlikely to be willing to pay Turner $20–25 million per year when they’re already paying Anthony Davis $37.9 million per year.

Bamba earns only $10.3 million per year and is locked in a 2-year contract. That means he could fit financially as the Lakers’ backup center and has 2 years left on his contract so does not have to be extended this summer.
Talentwise, Bamba is a probably a poor man’s version of Myles Turner who can stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting and protect the rim with his shot blocking. Ross gives the Lakers a legitimate starting 3&D wing.

The alternative to the Bamba and Ross trade with the Magic is a Poeltl and McDermott trade with the Spurs. Like the Magic trade, the Spurs trade also gives the Lakers an affordable starting small forward and backup center.
Poeltl could be the better defender but his poor free throw shooting makes him a late game liability and eliminates the chance he could evolve into a modern stretch center. McDermott is not as good a 3&D wing as Ross.

In the end, the best package the Lakers can get for Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and a protected pick is Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross. That trade fills the Lakers top two rotation holes and gives them a chance to make the playoffs.

What’s the Next Step?

The Lakers’ projected depth chart shows that Bamba and Ross are not only excellent fits with Anthony Davis out but also perfect complements once AD returns, giving the Lakers a rim protector for 48 minutes per game.

Moving Austin Reaves to the starting lineup is something Darvin Ham needs to do as soon as possible. Reaves has shown he has the moxie and confidence to hit this threes or attack the paint for floaters or fouls.
Austin is also the only Lakers player besides LeBron James and Anthony Davis to record a positive net rating for the season. LeBron is the Lakers point guard on offense and Reaves is their best perimeter defender.

With Mo Bamba starting at center, the Lakers’ starting lineup would measure 6′ 5′, 6′ 4″, 6′ 6″, 6′ 9″ 7′ 0″. Once Anthony Davis returns from injury, the Lakers’ starting lineup would then measure 6′ 5′, 6′ 4″, 6′ 6″, 6′ 9″ 7′ 0″.
The Lakers mat also play both Davis and Bamba at the same time, since Mo can space the floor from beyond the arc. And Coach Ham will likely stagger Anthony’s and Mo’s minutes to always have a rim protector on the court.

If the Lakers can fill their holes at starting small forward and backup center, then they will still have Russell Westbrook, Lonnie Walker IV, and their 2029 first round draft pick as available trading chips at the deadline.
Theoretically, the Lakers could still make a second bigger trade with Westbrook and the 2029 first round pick, which could bring back two or three better rotation players than the Lakers currently have.

Specific areas the Lakers should be looking to improve by trading Westbrook, Walker IV, and their 2029 pick include starting point guard, size on the wing, and a 20-points per game superstar shooting guard.