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.
This is best Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and Pick trade we get pull off. It will make a huge difference by giving us desperately needed size at small forward and center until AD gets back.
Don’t see any other small trade that helps as much. Bamba and Ross should dramatically improve our size, shooting, and defense.
Mamba ain’t coming, you mean Bamba.
Haha, Dave. Good catch. Man, I’m surprised I only did it once. You and your Terry have a Merry Christmas.
You and yours as well! : )
I would add that one variation of this scenario does have the Lakers keeping Russell Westbrook, which I think is crazy but at this point it’s obvious that with Rob nothing is impossible. Keep the pick and screw this year’s team.
Sometimes I don’t understand your logic on trades. Bamba averages 8 points, 5.4 boards, 39% from 3 and a block in 28 minutes a game. Thomas averages 10.4 pts 5.4 boards 50% from 3 a 1/2 blocks in 18 minutes. Bamba has played himself to the 2nd unit, that’s part of the reason why he maybe available. He’s not an upgrade. I think it best to hold onto our assets for someone who fill the size on the wing problem. Ross is good but he’s Austin’s size so he’s not real long.
Forgot to add Thomas is shooting.698 from the field. Bamba .599. The grass is not always greener.
We’re not going anywhere with Thomas Bryant as the anchor of our second team defense.
Tom you are the President, Vice President, secretary and sole member of the we hate Thomas Bryant club. I mean literally. You are contrary to The coaches, players and writers around the league. I thought you would be ecstatic with him shooting 50% from 3. Is there a 2nd string centers playing better? Our defense issues started some time ago Tom, long before AD went down. Guys back our tiny guys down and shoot over them and there is little that AD could do, let alone TB. We need longer defenders on the wing. Plain and simple.
Thomas had 13 boards last night. LeBron had 2. LeBron has been a bigger problem on the defensive end then Thomas’s
I like Thomas, Michael. I like Lonnie, Michael. I don’t think either can be the starter on a championship team.
You and your family have a Merry Christmas and maybe the Lakers will come to play and give us a win.
Hau’oli Mau Lānui! Michael.
Lakers keeping Russ, might as well let yourself feel surprise at Rob should that change at some point. The real question for me has switched to “will we sign him again this summer?” and “for how much?”
Merry Christmas too you Tom.
I love this trade. Reasonable, feasible and checks just about all the boxes that Rob has created to stop trades. I don’t mind bringing in a bigger player like Mo-B, it’s more about replacing AD when he inevitably goes down than the fit when he’s healthy. Since AD healthy is not the norm.
Ham has shown he doesn’t mind playing two bigs so having Thomas Bryant this season and beyond makes a lot of sense since he can play the 4 or 5. I, myself, don’t understand LT’s disparagement of Thomas B but we can’t assume Rob will keep any Laker not under contract beyond this season, anyhow.
Ross is fine, middle of the road player of which we have many. Doesn’t move the needle much but you won’t get players that will for PatBev and Nunn.
Regarding Russ I’ve come to the conclusion that unless the trade includes an elite playmaker it may end up making us worse. LeBron does not drive to make plays anymore, he’s too concerned with getting hurt. While that may change a little come playoffs it won’t matter if we’re not in the playoffs. Currently we are not. This trade, in and of itself, doesn’t change that. If you trade Russ for a bunch of shooters or a big we’re going to watch teams clog the paint and close out in the shooter all game every game and we’ll lose. Big.
Schroder isn’t good enough, LeBron is legitimately worried about getting hurt on drives, and PatBev (if he’s not traded) is a PG in name only. He doesn’t create offense, he makes OK reads.
Thanks, Jamie. And Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I like the trade too as I think it will make us better. We add two players at positions where we desperately need size and shooting and defense. It won’t make us favorites but it should make us a lot better via addition of two players and subtraction of three players. Roster will be bigger, better shooting, and better defensively. It’s not the trade I’d make if I were in charge but it’s a good start considering all the constraints Rob has put on any trade.
What kind of difference can two players make? If they move into the starting lineup, I think they can make a major change. First, we get much better rim protection from Bamba than Bryant and we get Bryant back as our backup center, which is important as he’s been a positive sign. He’s just not a great defender. Bamba is bigger and more athletic and should be a huge improvement. It gives us three centers who can shoot from deep, which is big.
Adding a 6′ 6″ legitimate 3&D wing cannot be minimized. Enough with 6′ 1″ wing stoppers like Beverley or Schroeder. Ross has split his time between shooting guard and small forward and will become the best 3-point shooter on the team. He’ s a good defender and should be a great fit as starting small forward.
The Lakers could get a similar trade from the Spurs for Poeltl and McDermott but Bamba’s ability to shoot the three and make his free throws make the Magic trade a better fit for the Lakers.