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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

Blockbuster Trade Transforms Lakers From Lottery to NBA Championship!

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While the Lakers lost to the Suns last night, the fourth straight dominating performance by center Anthony Davis, this time against a much tougher opponent in Deandre Ayton, was more important than winning the game.

The resurgent Lakers gave the more talented Suns everything they could handle, almost overcoming a 36-point disadvantage in 3-point shooting by making 26 more free throws and scoring 10 more points-in-the-paint. 
While the Lakers’ poor 3-point shooting doomed them to lose this game, the continued dominance by AD is looking more and more like the real thing. Last night’s performance was Davis’ best in the last four games.

Rob Pelinka has promised the Lakers would trade both first round draft picks if the team proved worthy of that investment and if the trade would actually transform the team into a legitimate championship contender. 
The Lakers should win the next 4 games and finish November 9–11, winning 7 of their last 8 games with AD as the featured superstar and proving to management the team was worthy of trading the two picks.

Here’s a three-team, three-player mega trade between the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, and Indiana Pacers that will transform the L.A. from a likely lottery team to a legitimate NBA championship contender:

The Three-Team, Three-Player Trade

The Lakers trade Russell Westbrook and an unprotected 2027 pick to the Nets for Kyrie Irving and Seth Curry plus Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, and an unprotected 2029 first round pick to the Pacers for Myles Turner.

The trade is salary neutral for all three teams, meaning no increase in current season payroll or luxury taxes. None of the involved players qualify as recently traded or signed so there is no need to wait before trading. 
Another benefit for all the teams is the six players involved are on expiring contracts so the trade would thus be ‘cap space neutral’ and ‘salary neutral.’ Teams would have the same amount of cap space after as before the trade.

The big question is whether these three teams really want to trade. The Lakers talk about sacrificing this season to keep their picks for a mega trade this summer. Who knows what the Nets and Pacers are going to do. 
For them, the trade is not about the players coming back. Whether this trade happens or not comes down to the value Brooklyn and Indiana assign Los Angeles’ post-LeBron James unprotected first round draft picks.

This trade solves each of the team’s major personnel issues without hurting their current salary, luxury tax, or cap space situations. Lakers move Russ. Nets dump Kyrie, Pacers avoid losing Turner to free agency for nothing.

Why the Los Angeles Lakers Make the Trade

The Lakers make the trade because it transforms them from a lottery team to legitimate championship contender. Adding Irving and Turner to James, Davis, and Walker could give the Lakers’ the league’s best starting lineup.

Swapping Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, and Kendrick Nunn for Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, and Myles Turner gives the Lakers three players who can shoot the three and a stretch five center who can protect the rim.
In addition to solid bench contributors like Dennis Schröder, Seth Curry, and Austin Reaves, the Lakers should have dramatically improved depth along with the improved versatility to play jumbo big or super small.

Besides upgrading the starting lineup and depth, the trade essentially swaps one package of expiring contracts for a different package, meaning the Lakers will still have $35 million in open cap space this summer. 
That will give them the option of using Bird rights or some or all of their $35 million in open cap space to re-sign or extend Irving, Curry, Turner, and/or Walker or use some or all of the cap space to sign free agents.

This is the perfect trade for the Lakers as it not only gives them a chance to win their 18th NBA championship this season but also gives them three elite players who could easily be valuable teammates going forward.

Why the Nets and Pacers Make the Trade

The Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers are interested in trading with the Los Angeles Lakers for one simple reason. They both want the opportunity to trade for the Lakers 2027 and/or 2029 unprotected first round draft picks.

The reason these picks are projected to be so valuable is the fact that they’re unprotected and are for seasons when superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis will both likely have retired and no longer with the team. 
Opposing teams remember the Lakers picking 7th, 2nd, and 2nd in the NBA Draft in the years immediately following Kobe Bryant’s retirement. That’s why there’s so many teams looking to acquire those Lakers picks.

Like the Lakers, the Nets and the Pacers will also appreciate that the trade does not affect the team’s current salary, luxury taxes, or open cap space. What it does do, however, is accomplish major goals for both teams.
For the Nets, the main goal is to get rid of Kyrie Irving so they can move on. For the Pacers, it’s getting maximum return for center Myles Turner so they don’t have to risk losing him for nothing in free agency this summer.

The Nets want to dump Irving and the Lakers are their only possible trading partner. The Pacers want to move Turner before they lose him for nothing in free agency. What they both want are the Lakers’ picks.

Lakers Need Three New Starters Who Better Complement James and Davis

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The Los Angeles Lakers would be smart to prioritize fit with LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the most important factor when deciding with whom to trade and what players to pursue to complete their unfinished roster.

It’s not like there’s a secret to building a roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. You need size so Davis can play his preferred, less physical power forward position rather than center and lots of 3-point shooting. We’ve seen the last two seasons what happens when you don’t surround LeBron and AD with players who fit as the Lakers followed their 2020 championship in the bubble by missing the playoffs two years in a row.

To upgrade the roster to give rookie head coach Darvin Ham the right players to fit the offensive and defensive schemes he brought with him from the Bucks, the Lakers goal must be to trade for three new starters. Right now, the Lakers’ current roster desperately needs more size and shooting. Neither of their young centers is ready to start and none of the starting guards has the elite volume 3-point shooting to space the floor.

The Lakers need a starting center who can space the floor and protect the rim, a starting shooting guard who can rain threes, and a starting point guard who can make plays, shoot the three, and defend his position. Trading Westbrook and draft capita for three legitimate starter quality players would not only dramatically upgrade the starting lineup but also the bench with the three players who are currently starting for L.A.

Assuming LeBron James will play small forward and Anthony Davis his favored power forward, the Lakers would then need to trade Russell Westbrook for a new starting center, shooting guard, and point guard.

Starting Center?

To replicate Darvin Ham’s offensive and defensive schemes, the Lakers need a stretch five center who can space the floor and protect the rim. It’s a critical role that the team hoped Thomas Bryant or Damian Jones could fill.

Unfortunately, neither Bryant or Jones has been up to the challenge of starting, forcing the Lakers to start injury prone Anthony Davis at the five despite his injury history and publicly stated preference to play the four. One of the Lakers top priority in trading Russell Westbrook is acquiring a modern center who can both space the court as well as protect the rim. The top candidate for that position is Indiana Pacers’ center Myles Turner.

Turner is unique as he not only allows Anthony Davis to play his preferred power forward position and LeBron James his normal small forward position which gives both Lakers superstars positional size advantage. Myles Turner not only solves the Lakers need for a stretch five center ala the Bucks’ Brook Lopez but also provides the spacing to unleash superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis to cause havoc by getting to the rim.

There are other viable big man candidates who could be good stretch fits with the Lakers, including the Jazz’ Lauri Markkanen and Kelly Olynyk, but neither of them is the rim protector and shot blocker than Myles Turner is. Trading with Utah Jazz for both Markkanen and Olynyk along with Beasley and Clarkson, however, could be an attractive alternative for the Lakers to trading with the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

While Turner will boost the Lakers’ offense, it’s what he will do the Lakers #2 ranked NBA defense that excites basketball aficionados and fans most. Turner would elevate the Lakers’ defense to be the best in the league.

Starting Shooting Guard?

While the Lakers need to upgrade their team 3-point shooting, trading for Indiana Pacers elite volume 3-point shooting guard Buddy Hield would be an immediate and massive improvement to their ability to space the floor.

The Lakers have long coveted Buddy Hield, who’s the kind of dead-eye volume 3-point shooter other teams cannot afford to leave alone because he is a career 39.8% 3-point shooter who averages 7.6 threes per game. Buddy is off to a sizzling start this season, averaging 17.8 points, 5.4 boards, and 4.1 dimes while shooting 42.7% from deep on 9.7 attempts per game, 5th behind Steph Curry, Dame Lillard, Kyrie Irving, and Anfernee Simons.

Right now, the lack of a 3-point shooting threat has enabled opposing defenses to pack the paint against LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook and to limit how often they can get to the basket. 
Besides Buddy Hield, the Lakers have shown interest in Josh Richardson, Eric Gordon, and other elite 3-point shooters. The fact that the Pacers have the Lakers top options at center and shooting guard makes Indy a priority.

While Buddy Hield is not a great defender, he is a great 3-point shooter. He is so dangerous that teams cannot afford to leave him alone or even to help off him. He essentially turns the game into 4-on-4 for the Lakers offense. The difference in the spacing a team gets when they play 4-on-4 vs. 5-on-5 is potentially game changing for a team like the Lakers whose superstars are not elite long range shooters who prefer to attack the paint and rim.

Buddy Hield is the perfect fit to provide the Lakers with the elite high volume, high percentage 3-point shooting they need to give LeBron James and Anthony Davis the spacing and open lanes they need to attack the rim.

Starting Point Guard

Once the Lakers trade Westbrook to the Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, they need to make a trade with the unfortunate Charlotte Hornets who may have been forced to tank by the lure of Victor and Melo injury.

The target of that trade would be Hornets’ point guard and shot creator extraordinaire Terry Rozier, who is in the first year of a massive 4-year $96 million extension that Michael Jordan might be seriously reconsidering. Dumping 4-year $96 million contracts usually cost an NBA team a first round pick. The Lakers should be able to trade for Rozier ($21M/Yr) with Beverley’s million and Nunn’s ($18M/Yr Combined) expiring contracts.

Like Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, Terry Rozier is also off to a hot start to the season, averaging 23.5 points, 7.0 boards, and 8.5 dimes while shooting 40.0% on 7.5 threes per game. Hornets are now 3–4 and 9th in the East. 
Once the season hits the 20-game mark, Jordan is likely to decide the smart move is to tank the season and see if they get lucky and get a top pick, while at the same time assessing what’s going to happen with Bridges and Ball.

The biggest thing that Rozier brings to the Lakers is the ability to get a shot for himself or a teammate any time in the game. He’s the perfect replacement for Russell Westbrook in that he’s an elite 3-point shooter. 
The Lakers have spent the last two years, multiple reliable role players, and a couple of sorely missed draft picks futilely trying to find somebody who could play point guard and take primary playmaking duties from LeBron.

Terry Rozier is exactly what the Lakers need to accomplish the goal of giving the ball to somebody else to make the team more versatile and dangerous and reduce the playmaking load from superstar LeBron James.

Championship Contender?

The addition of Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Terry Rozier clearly give the Los Angeles Lakers the additional front court size and 3-point shooting to become a legitimate contender to win their 18th NBA championship.

Right now, the Lakers have the 2nd ranked defense in the league and the 30th ranked offense. The additions of Turner, Hield, and Rozier should dramatically upgrade the Lakers offensively, especially their shooting. 
The addition of Myles Turner should make the Laker 2nd ranked defense even better as Darvin Ham will be able to have an elite shot blocker and rim protector on the court for the full 48 minutes of every NBA game.

The L.A. Lakers traded three players — Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, and Kendrick Nunn (plus two first round draft picks) — to the Indiana Pacers for three players — Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Terry Rozier. That leaves the Lakers with 15 players on the roster plus two-way players Cole Swider and Scotty Pippin, Jr. Even after moving Westbrook, the Lakers will have $24 million in expiring contracts to use at the trade deadline.

It will be interesting to see whether the Lakers continue tweaking their roster at the trade deadline. On December 15, recently signed players will be eligible to be traded as well as players traded before October 15th. 
While the Lakers won’t have any draft picks to trade at the deadline, they will have, besides James and Davis, over $65 million in tradeable contracts, including Rozier’s $21.4 million, Hield’s $21.1 million, Turner’s $18 million.

Trading Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, and two first round picks for Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Terry Rozier would make the Los Angeles Lakers legitimate contenders for their 18th championship.

Why 0–4 Lakers Can’t Wait 20 Games As It Will Be Too Late to Save Season

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The Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to wait until the end of November when the team will have played 20 games suddenly appears to be a major mistake as the Lakers are now 0–4 and their season is already at risk of being lost.

Only two teams in NBA history have made the playoffs after starting the season with an 0–4 record and neither of those teams won a championship. The last time the Lakers started 0–4, they only won 17 games all year long. Should the Lakers continue to stay patient, it’s possible they might finish the first 20 games of the season with a 5–15 record, which would make it close to impossible for them to make the playoff even with a mega trade.

Right now, the paralysis that’s infected the decision makers in the Lakers’ front office is threatening not only to derail this season but also to throw a major monkey wrench in the critical Lakers-Klutch Sports relationship. The Lakers promised LeBron James when he agreed to sign his extension that they would trade both picks to fix the team’s size and shooting issues and elevate the team to become a legitimate championship contender.

Entering the season when he’ll turn 38-years old, LeBron James has to be approaching the end of his championship window. The Lakers not keeping their promise to James would be a death blow to their alliance with Klutch. That could not only affect the Lakers relationship with LeBron James but also with Anthony Davis, Lonnie Walker IV, Troy Brown, Jr., Kendrick Nunn, and Juan Toscano-Anderson, who also are Klutch Sports clients.

That’s why Rob Pelinka has to abandon his original plans to wait 20 games until the end of November in hopes of being able to trade for Kyrie Irving or a third superstar to go with LeBron and AD and trade Russ right now. While teams know the Lakers are desperate, there are still three or four teams, including Indiana, San Antonio, Charlotte, and Utah, whom have strong interest in acquiring one or both of the Lakers unprotected picks.

Once Pelinka commits to trading Russ and two unprotected picks, the Lakers should receive multiple offers. Their negotiating goal during the offseason was to put together a multiple team trade to optimize return. Right now, the Lakers have identified four role players who are now their primary trade targets. Those four players are the Pacers’ Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, the Spurs’ Josh Richardson, and the Hornets’ Terry Rozier.

Ideally, Rob Pelinka would like to pull off a 3-team trade where the Lakers trade Westbrook and their unprotected 2027 and 2029 first round draft picks for Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Terry Rozier as new starters. That’s a trade that would add three a dynamic young center who can stretch the floor and protect the rim and two high volume, high percentage 3-point shooters who shoot over eight threes per game while shooting near 40%.

Turner, Hield, and Rozier would immediately replace Beverley, Walker, and Reaves and be three major upgrades to the Los Angeles Lakers‘ starting lineup’s size and shooting to unleash LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Aside from upgrading the starting lineup, moving Beverley, Walker, and Reaves to the bench immediately improves the Lakers’ depth. What used to be the team’s 3rd, 4th, and 5th best players are now its 6th, 7th, and 8th.

The Lakers have one more games left on this mini road trip against the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night and then they return home for a a quick second game and chance for revenge against the Denver Nuggets. 
I’m hopeful that the Lakers slow start to the season will force Pelinka to reengage with Indiana, San Antonio, Charlotte, and Utah and find the best possible return for Westbrook and the team’s two first round draft picks.

The Lakers’ slow start to the season has made it impossible for the Lakers to wait to trade Russell Westbrook until the end of November when they’ve played 20 games. Pelinka needs to consummate a trade as soon as possible.

Three Team Trade Adds Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, & Terry Rozier to Lakers

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Per Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Lakers have targeted four players for whom they are interested in trading: the Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, the Spurs’ Jason Richardson, and the Hornets’ Terry Rozier.

The winless Lakers are shooting a historically poor percentage from the field and from deep, losing their first three games despite LeBron James and Anthony Davis playing well and the defense ranking 5th in the league. They desperately need a legit starting center who can stretch the floor and protect the rim, a proven high percentage, high volume 3-point shooter defenses cannot ignore, and quality forwards to backup James and Davis.

Trading Westbrook and draft capital is the only way the Lakers can add front court size and 3-point shooting. Here’s a trade that brings the Lakers three of the four players for whom they’re most interested in trading. 

Three-Team Trade Between Lakers, Pacers, and Hornets

The above three-team trade essentially gives the Los Angeles Lakers three brand new starters in Myles Turner, Terry Rozier, and Buddy Hield to go with their two current superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

This three-team trade is essentially two trades rolled into one. In the first trade, the Lakers trade Russell Westbrook and 2027 and 2029 unprotected first round picks to the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. In the second trade, the Lakers trade guards Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn to the Charlotte Hornets for Terry Rozier. Overall, the Lakers traded three guards for a new starting point guard, shooting guard, and center.

The trade is essentially a win-win-win trade. The Lakers get three new starters for Westbrook who are young enough to help the team make sure their 2027 and 2029 unprotected picks don’t turn out to be worth much. 
The Pacers, who are tanking, get the Lakers two potential blockbuster post-LeBron unprotected picks as well as helping their tank. The Hornets, who should also tank, get out of Rozier’s 4-year deal with expiring contracts.

It’s not often that a three-team trade is a win for everybody but this could be the exception. It’s the deal the Lakers should be focused on making as it gives them the best chance to compete for a ring now and in the future.

Lakers’ Depth Chart After Three-Team Trade

Terry Rozier, 28-year old point guard, 6′ 1″, 190 lbs
19.3/4.3/4.5 shooting 44.4%/37.4%/85.2% on 16.0/8.1/2.4 shots

Buddy Hield, 29-year old shooting guard, 6′ 4″, 220 lbs
15.6/4.4/2.8 shooting 40.6%/36.6%/87.4% on 13.6/8.8/1.6 shots

Myles Turner, 26 -year old center, 6′ 11″, 250 lbs
12.6/6.5/1.0 shooting 50.9%/33.3%/75.2% on 9.4/4.4/2.5 shots

The Lakers need a Westbrook trade that would elevate them to become legitimate championship contenders. Adding Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Terry Rozier would clearly elevate the Lakers roster to a top-6 team.

The addition of Myles Turner would give the Lakers the legitimate starting center who can both stretch the floor and protect the rim, both important skillsets that the Lakers need from the center position in Ham’s schemes. The addition of Buddy Hield and Terry Rozier would give the Lakers two tested and proven dead-eye high-volume, high-percentage 3-point shooters who made over three and took over eight threes per game last season.

Turner, Hield, and Rozier made 7.5 of the 21.0 threes taken per game last season for an acceptable 35.7%. Westbrook, Nunn (2 years ago), and Beverley made just 3.5 of the 14.1 threes taken per game for a low 24.8%. The Lakers essentially traded Russ and two picks for three starters who transform their starting lineup by allowing LeBron and AD to play down a position and surrounding them with three quality 3-point shooters.

By adding Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Terry Rozier, the Lakers should add at least six more wins, raising their projected win total from the current forty-four wins to the over fifty wins needed to be a top-6 team.