Robert Williams III

Two Blockbuster Trades To Construct Championship Lakers Starting Lineup

December 12, 2024 By LakerTom 8 Comments

With less than two months before the February 6 trade deadline, Rob Pelinka may finally be facing what could be a franchise and career defining decision whether to save his picks or go all-in to win a championship.

After kicking the ball down the road last two summers and midseasons, there’s an expectation Pelinka might no longer believe the current roster is worth investing valuable draft picks that should be used to replace James.
The Lakers’ current tradable draft capital includes two first round picks, two first round pick swaps, and three second round picks. The Lakers also have $50M in tradable salaries, including $30M in expiring contracts.

Pelinka’s constant moving of the goal posts without making needed moves to upgrade the team’s perimeter point-of-attack defense and the lack of size and rim protection in starting lineup and rotation has been inexcusable.
What’s especially frustrating for Lakers fans is that there are moves the Lakers could make using their existing draft capital and matching salaries to clearly upgrade the Lakers to legitimate championship contenders.

The problem is Pelinka has neither the vision or courage needed to make moves in the NBA’s current competitive landscape. Rob fully understands his safe harbor as Kobe’s agent will not survive another Westbrook fiasco.
What he still needs to realize, however, is not taking advantage of what could be the Lakers’ last opportunity to win a second championship with a healthy LeBron James and Anthony Davis could be grounds for firing.

Here are two trades that will dramatically upgrade the Lakers starting lineup offense and defense with a elite pair of two-way starters and fortify the bench with two former starters and a new shot blocking backup five.

1. Trade for Robert Williams III

While many expect the Lakers to keep their two first round picks and use second round picks to acquire Jonas Valanciunas as backup center, Pelinka would be smarter use one first round pick to trade for Robert Williams III.

Despite a troubling injury history, Williams is the single most important player the Lakers could acquire before the trade deadline. There’s no other available player capable of totally transforming the Lakers starting lineup. Starting Robert Williams III at the five alongside Anthony Davis at the four would dramatically upgrade the Lakers front court defense, giving them two elite defenders who can both protect the rim and defend the perimeter.

Williams would also turbocharge the Lakers’ offense with his aggressive low post scoring and offensive rebounding. Starting Robert Williams at the five would unleash Anthony Davis to wreak havoc at both ends of the court.
Robert is currently averaging 9.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.1 steals in just 18.7 minutes per game while shooting an elite 71.1% on 5.4 FGA, 50% on 0.5 3PA, and 92.3% on 1.9 FTA per game.

The Lakers would be smart keep Williams’ playing time close to 20 minutes per game to keep him fresh and healthy and avoid injuries, which means they still likely need a more experienced backup center than Koloko.
The Lakers also still need to replace D’Angelo Russell with a point guard who can not only help replace his 3-point shooting and playmaking but also give them better 1-on-1 point-of-attack perimeter defense than DLO.

The Lakers’ top-5 protected 2029 first round pick plus Vincent’s $11.0M contract for 2-years and Hayes’ $2.4 million expiring contract should be good enough for the Blazers to trade Robert Williams III to the Lakers.

2. Trade for Dennis Schroder and Day’Ron Sharpe

Once the Lakers finalize the trade for Robert Williams III, they should then immediately focus on trading for the Nets’ Dennis Schroder and Day’Ron Sharpe to be starting two-way point guard and backup shot blocking center.

While the Lakers could stop after trading for Williams and start Austin Reaves at point guard with maybe Jarred Vanderbilt at shooting guard for defense, trading with Nets for Schroder and Sharpe fills two big holes.
Dennis Schroder should be the perfect defensive upgrade at starting point guard to replace D’Angelo Russell and Day’Ron Sharpe the perfect upgrade at backup defensive center when Robert Williams is resting on the bench.

Dennis Schroder has been on a tear since playing for Germany in the Olympics last summer and is a legitimate two-way player who would be an excellent upgrade over D’Angelo Russell as Lakers’ starting point guard.
Schroder is averaging 18.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals in 33.9 minutes per game while shooting 44.8 on 114.3 FGA per game, 38.5% on 6.5 3PA per game, and 88.9% on 3.7 FTA per game.

Since the Lakers should load manage Williams’ minutes, Sharpe would give them another talented rim protector to back up Robert and ensure that the Lakers would have an elite shot blocker on the court for all 48 minutes.
Day’Ron is averaging 5.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.3 blocks, and 1.3 steals in just 14.7 minutes per game as Nets’ backup five while shooting 36.4% on 3.7 FGA, 50.0% on 0.7 3PA, and 100.0% on 2.0 FTA per game.

The Lakers’ top-5 protected 2031 first round pick plus Russell’s, Hood-Schifino’s, and Reddish’s $24.6M in expiring contracts should be enough compensation for the Nets to trade Schroder and Sharpe to the Lakers.

3. Lakers Post-Trades Starting Lineup & Rotation

After the two blockbuster trades, the Los Angeles Lakers would suddenly boast a dramatically upgraded starting lineup and deep bench rotation that could catapult the team into top-10 in the league on offense and defense.

Replacing Reaves and Hachimura with Schroder and Williams totally transforms the Lakers starting lineup and bench. Schroder and Williams turbo charge the starters while Reaves and Hachimura upgrade the bench.
Dennis Schroder, Dalton Knecht, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Robert Williams are an elite starting lineup and Austin Reaves, Max Christie, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Day’Ron Sharpe a top-10 bench.

The trades have the Lakers swapping five one-way players and two top-5 protected first round picks for two two-way starters in Robert Williams and Dennis Schroder and one two-way rotation player in Day’Ron Sharpe.
Besides reducing their annual payroll for the year by $9.0M, the two trades opened up two new roster spots so the Lakers can sign two-way players Christian Koloko and Quincy Olivari to become part of the active roster.

That gives the Lakers a promising group of players under development with Quincy Olivari at the one, Bronny James at the two, Maxwell Lewis at the three, Christian Wood at the four, and Christian Koloko at the five.
While injuries will continue to be a huge wild card for the Lakers, the trades for Williams, Schroder, and Sharpe reshaped their starting lineup and rotation, giving them sorely needed size and perimeter defense.

While there is a risk in the Lakers using their only tradable first round picks for an injury prone center like Williams and two-way point guard like Schroder, their upside could easily be the Lakers 18th NBA championship.

Building A Championship Defense Around The Lakers’ New Big Three

November 29, 2024 By LakerTom 13 Comments

Dalton Knecht’s emergence as the generational 3-point shooter the Los Angeles Lakers have long-coveted now gives them a New Big Three and frees them to trade their picks to upgrade their starting lineup defense.

Redick’s decision to make Dalton Knecht the Lakers’ starting shooting guard was a clear sign the Lakers view the talented young rookie as part of their backcourt of the future and an emerging star around which to build. While moving Russell to the bench was a big success, Reddish was never able to provide enough defense to offset his liability on offense. Replacing him with Knecht fixed the mistake and turbo charged the starting lineup.

Though the Lakers knew Russell and Reaves could not be a championship backcourt defensively, they decided they had no option but gamble on a Reaves and Knecht backcourt, even though it’s not optimal defensively.
While an offense-first starting backcourt of Reaves and Knecht might survive regular season, they’ll be hard pressed defensively to win in the playoffs, which is why Dalton starting could change Lakers’ trade plans.

Sooner rather than later, the Lakers need trades to pair Dalton Knecht with a new defense-first point guard who can defend the perimeter and pair Anthony Davis with a new defense-first center who can protect the rim.
Their assets to make those trades include their two available first round picks, three available first round pick swaps, and three second round picks. Russell, Hachimura, Hood-Schifino, and Lewis are logical salary filler.

As L.A. continues trying to thread the needle between winning now and building for the future, committing to Knecht as a part of their new long-term core should empower the Lakers to focus on trading for defense.
With a New Big Three of Davis at the four, James at the three, and Knecht at the two, Lakers need to trade for a defensive center who can legitimately start and a defensive point guard who can’t be played off the court.

Here are three top trade targets for new Lakers’ defense oriented starting point guard and center to provide championship caliber defensive help for New Big Three of Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Dalton Knecht.

1. Defensive Center Who Can Legitimately Start

The Los Angeles Lakers’ three top trade targets for a defensive center to start next to AD should be the Portland Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams III, the Utah Jazz’ Walker Kessler, and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Brook Lopez.

Robert Williams III, 27 Years Old, 6′ 9″, 249 lbs, 2 Years @ $12M
9.6 pts, 6.0 reb, 1.4 ast, 1.9 blk, 1.1 stl in 18.7 mpg
71.1% on 5.4 FGA, 50.0% on 0.3 3PA, 92.3% on 1.9 FTA pg
Walker Kessler, 23 Years Old, 7′ 0″, 245 lbs, 2 Years @ $4M
9.7 pts, 10.4 reb, 1.4 ast, 2.8 blk, 0.4 stl in 27.7 mpg
69.9% on 6.1 FGA, 0.0% on 0 3PA, 51.9% on 2.3 FTA pg
Brook Lopez, 36 Years Old, 7′ 1″, 282 lbs, 1 Year @ $23M
12.3 pts, 5.2 reb, 1.8 ast, 2.3 blk, 1.3 stl in 32.7 mpg
47.7% on 9.6 FGA, 36.5% on 5.3 3PA, 74.2% on 1.7 FTA pg

While all three defensive center options would help elevate the Lakers to legitimate championship contenders, Williams has greatest potential and risk, Kessler best long-term upside, and Lopez best short-term outlook.

Of the three options, Robert Williams III has the greatest ceiling as he has elite ability both to protect the rim and defend in space. Pairing him with Anthony Davis would give the Lakers the best front court in the league.
Trading for Williams would surely cost the Lakers one of their two available first round picks plus maybe Vincent and Hood-Schifino as salary filler. While Williams doesn’t stretch the floor, he’s still a big force offensively.

The obvious pluses of trading for Walker Kessler are his age and salary, which means his cost in terms of matching salary and cap impact are minimal. The negative is the Jazz are asking two first round picks for him.
Trading Kessler to L.A. could also undermine what Utah receives for the Lakers’ 1–4 protected 2027 pick they own. The Lakers may need to remove the 2027 protection plus include 2028 swap and 2029 pick to land Kessler.

Should the Lakers not want to risk trading for Williams or pay the price to trade for Kessler, Brook Lopez could be the ideal short-term option for the Lakers to pair with Anthony Davis in a modern two-bigs starting lineup.
While giving up a first round pick for a short-term solution like 36-year old Lopez is not ideal, there may be no better big to play alongside AD than Brook, who’s the only defensive center candidate who stretches the floor.

The Lakers need to trade for a defensive center like the Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams III, the Jazz’ Walker Kessler, or the Bucks’ Brook Lopez to pair with Anthony Davis in the best defensive front court in the league.

2. Defensive Guard Who Can’t Be Played Off Court

The Los Angeles Lakers’ three top trade targets for a defensive point guard to play with Dalton Knecht should be the Memphis Grizzlies’ Marcus Smart, the Chicago Bulls’ Lonzo Ball, and the Brooklyn Nets’ Dennis Schroder.

Marcus Smart, 30 Years Old, 6′ 3″, 220 lbs, 2 Years @ $21M
9.2 pts, 2.4 reb, 3.9 ast, 0.7 blk, 1.3 stl in 20.0 mpg
38.2% on 7.6 FGA, 31.7% on 4.6 3PA, 85.7% on 2.3 FTA pg
Lonzo Ball, 27 Years Old, 6′ 6″, 190 lbs, 1 Year @ $21M
TYR: 5.0 pts, 2.3 reb, 3.5 ast, 0.8 blk, 1.0 stl in 15.5 mpg
35.6% on 5.6 FGA, 20.5% on 3.0 3PA, 71.4% on 0.5 FTA pg
LYR: 13.0 pts, 5.4 reb, 5.1 ast, 0.9 blk, 1.8 stl in 34.6 mpg
42,3% on 10.9 FGA, 42.3% on 7.4 3PA, 75.0% on 0.8 FTA pg
Dennis Schroder, 31 Years Old, 6′ 1″, 175 lbs, 2 Years @ 12M
18.6 pts, 3.2 reb, 6.3 ast, 0.2 blk, 1.2 stl in 34.2 mpg
43.4% on 11.9 FGA, 41.7% on 6.7 3PA, 88.1% on 3.7 FTA pg

While the three defensive point guard options would help catapult the Lakers to legitimate contenders, Smart has the safest ceiling and floor, Ball the greatest upside and risk, and Schroder the best short-term bet.

Former Boston Celtic Marcus Smart should be the Lakers’ top defensive point guard target. While not an elite 3-point sniper or playmaker, Smart’s point-of-attack defense, constant motor, and gritty leadership are elite.
Pairing an All-Defensive quality 1-on-1 point-of-attack defender like Marcus Smart with a generational 3-point shooter and scorer like Dalton Knecht is exactly what the Lakers need to compete for a championship.

Should L.A. be unable to interest the Grizzlies in trading Marcus Smart, the Lakers should turn to the tanking Bulls and see whether they’re interested in trading injury-prone point guard Lonzo Ball and his expiring contract.
While L.A. would need to have their doctors examine Ball and review his medical records, Lonzo Ball could be exactly what the Lakers need as a defensive point guard and Bulls may be willing to give him up for seconds.

If L.A. cannot trade for Smart or Ball, they should pivot and target the Nets’ current and Lakers’ former point guard Dennis Schroder, who’s elevated his play at both end in the Olympics for Germany and in the NBA for the Nets.
While he’s not the bigger point-of-attack defensive point guard Smart and Ball are, Shroder does have elite speed, quickness, and ability to hound opposing ball handlers full court and is also shooting over 40% from deep.

The Lakers need to trade for a defensive point guard like the Grizzlies’ Marcus Smart, the Bulls’ Lonzo Ball, or the Nets’ Dennis Schroder to pair with Dalton Knecht in one of the best two-way backcourts in the NBA.

Two Former Boston Celtics Starters Could Transform Lakers To Champs

November 18, 2024 By LakerTom 8 Comments

With Rookie head coach JJ Redick continuing to make all the right moves, the Los Angeles Lakers suddenly find themselves only a pair of upgraded starters short from becoming a legitimate NBA championship contender.

The Lakers need to replace starting point guard D’Angelo Russell with a point guard who can shoot threes and defend at a high level and starting wing Rui Hachimura with a shot blocking center who can play with AD.
With a current top-five offensive rating and bottom-five defensive rating, the Lakers desperately need to start elite individual defenders who can not only guard multiple positions but also hold their own on the offensive end.

The Boston Celtics faced the same challenge two years ago when they replaced a point guard and center combination of Marcus Smart and Robert Williams with a Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis combo.
Ironically, the leading candidates to replace D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura in an upgraded Lakers starting lineup are former Celtics All-Defensive point guard Marcus Smart and center Robert Williams III.

There’s no question that Boston’s addition of elite defensive point guard Jrue Holiday and stretch center Kristaps Porzingis were the major catalysts that propelled the Celtics to their league best 18th NBA championship.
The Lakers would be smart to emulate what the Celtics did to win and pursue their own defensive upgrades at point guard and center by trading for former elite Boston starters Marcus Smart and Robert Williams.

Let’s look at what the Lakers would have to give up to trade for Marcus Smart and Robert Williams, how each player would fit with the current roster, and what resulting starting lineup and rotation would look like.

Marcus Smart and Robert Williams Trade

The Lakers trade D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Maxwell Lewis, and 2029 and 2031 unprotected first round draft picks for POA point guard Marcus Smart and defensive center Robert Williams III.

Trade essentially moves two current starters in Russell and Hachimura, two non-rotation young bench players in JHS and Lewis, and two first round picks for Smart and Williams to upgrade team’s starting defense.
Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III are proven two-way players who represent major defensive upgrades over one-way players D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura. Lakers give up some offense for better defense.

The Lakers are obviously hoping point guard Marcus Smart and center Robert Williams successfully fill the same identical roles for them that point guard Jrue Holiday and center Kristaps Porzingis did for the Celtics.
Smart and Holiday are statistically similar point guards who can shoot the three and can shut down opposing teams’ top scorers while Williams and Porzingis are often injured big men who can be dominant when healthy.

Russell and Hachimura are not valuable enough to motivate the Grizzlies and Trail Blazers to trade Smart and Williams so the Lakers will likely need to include their unprotected 2029 and 2031 first round picks as sweeteners.
With LeBron James now slated to play just another two more years, the Los Angeles Lakers cannot afford to miss this opportunity to tie their nemises Boston Celtics and win their both 18th and 19th NBA championships.

Besides upgrading the starting lineup, the trade for Smart and Williams III also opens up roster spots to promote two-way players Koloko and Olivari to standard rotation contracts and save almost $9 million in salaries.

Marcus Smart Transforms Point of Attack

Marcus Smart gives the Lakers the desperately needed legitimate two-way point-of-attack point guard to fill the role that Jrue Holiday now plays for the Boston Celtics and Alex Caruso currently plays for the OKC Thunder.

Trading for Smart fills the Lakers’ need for an elite perimeter defensive guard to slow down opposing teams’ top scorers without having to sacrifice offensive firepower and desperately needed volume 3-point shooting.
Marcus Smart’s not only a better 1-on-1 and team defender than Cam Reddish or Jarred Vanderbilt but he’s also a proven point guard who can run the offense, make plays for teammates, and rain threes from deep.

Right now, Cam Reddish has done a respectable job replacing D’Angelo Russell and giveing the Lakers’ starting lineup an elite perimeter defender who can slow down or shut down opposing top guard and wing scorers.
Unfortunately, Reddish has not been able to contribute enough on the offensive side of the ball to justify his defensive contributions. In the Lakers’ last 5 games, Cam has generated a negative net rating of -12.7.

While there remains the possibility of Jarred Vanderbilt eventually replacing Reddish, it’s no certainty that Vando will be able to contribute enough offensively to justify starting him at guard for his defense.
In the end, the Lakers need to trade for an elite two-way player like Marcus Smart if they want to be serious contender to win an NBA championship in what will likely be the final two seasons of LeBron James career.

Most importantly, Marcus Smart gives the Lakers a quality replacement for D’Angelo Russell at point guard to reduce wear and tear on LeBron James while dramatically balancing the team’s perimeter offense and defense.

Robert Williams Unleashes Anthony Davis

While plagued by injuries, Robert Williams III gives the Lakers the second defensive big they need to pair in a two-bigs starting lineup with Anthony Davis and to replace AD as rim protector when he goes to bench to rest.

While Williams struggled with major injuries last season and only played in 4 games this season, he has legitimate elite DPOY defensive level talent and, if he can remain healthy, would give the Lakers 2 DPOY candidates.
Williams is currently averaging 12.0 points, 5.7 boards, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.7 steals in just 18 minutes per game. Robert has 123.1 offensive rating (#1), 111.6 defensive rating (#7), and +11.4 net rating (#2).

While Williams doesn’t stretch the court like Porzingis, he’s able to defend all five positions at all three levels. He can block shots to protect the rim as well as switch onto smaller and quicker guards and wings on the perimeter.
Robert essentially gives the Lakers a slightly smaller version of Anthony Davis. Together, they can essentially put a lid on the basket. Staggered, they can provide the Lakers with 48 minutes of elite rim protection every game.

While Williams’ injury history is a major concern, especially if the Lakers are giving up an unprotected first round pick as compensation, his $12.4 million salary would be a major bargain for a team with salary issues.
With both Anthony Davis and LeBron James earning max contracts, the Lakers need to limit what they spend for the rest of their starting lineup and 9 or 10-man rotation. Williams is moderate risk, high reward player.

Williams would not only give the Lakers a second defensive big who can protect the rim and defend 1–5 on the perimeter but also guarantees the Lakers will have an elite rim protection for all 48 minutes of every game.

Lakers Post-Trade Depth Chart and Rotation

The biggest move the Lakers made last summer was to hire JJ Redick, who is quickly proving to be exactly what L.A. needed as their new head coach. Redick is committed to both transforming and modernizing the Lakers.

JJ has the Lakers off to their best start in years. LA currently has a 9–4 record for the season, is undefeated at home, has a 5-game winning streak, and now holds 4th place in the highly competitive Western Conference.
After playing with the starting lineup that made last season’s West Finals and going 1–4 on their first road trip, Redick replaced D’Angelo Russell with Cam Reddish in the starting lineup and the team has now won five straight.

Trading for Smart and Williams would enable the Lakers to dramatically improve their starting point guard and center and upgrade their defense to be top-5 championship caliber just like their current top-5 NBA offense.
Adding an elite point-of-attack defensive guard like Marcus Smart and a DPOY quality big like Robert Williams III simply transforms the Lakers two-bigs starting lineup into a torid offensive and defensive juggernaut.

The Lakers would now have a starting lineup of Smart, Reaves, James, Davis, Williams; a bench of Olivari, Christie, Knecht, Vanderbilt, Koloko; and a development group of Vincent, James Jr., Reddish, Wood, Hayes.
The beauty of the roster after trading for Smart and Williams is how deep the roster is at each of the five positions and how young the team is with LeBron James at 39 and Anthony Davis at 30 being the oldest players.

The Lakers’ 15-deep post-trade roster includes a championship caliber starting lineup, a dynamic bench that should be among the best in the league, and a group of reserves with great development potential.