3 trades that could bring the Lakers closer to an NBA championship

3 trades that could bring the Lakers closer to an NBA championship

There will be a lot of changes in the league between now and the trade deadline on February 8.

It’s no secret that the Lakers are eager to acquire Dejounte Murray;

they’ve even held trade negotiations with Atlanta.

How do the Lakers want to use this trade deadline, though?

How can they obtain what they need? Let’s examine the possibilities in more detail.

Prior to proceeding, keep in mind that the secret to creating a trade is to create a situation

where both sides stand to gain and have an incentive to accept.

Often, after experiencing their greatest setback,

supporters would outplay their contract by trading for the top player on a different team.

It goes beyond simply matching salaries. It must be logical in ways that go beyond money.

How to get to Zach LaVine

According to current sources, the Lakers intend to improve the guard position.

They are looking for a guy that can start offences, shoot well from three, and score goals on their own.

Though his contract is terrible and he is far from ideal, Zach LaVine does meet many of these criteria.

For this reason, he has been associated with the Lakers,

despite the fact that current rumours indicate there is “zero percent chance” the Lakers will make a deal for LaVine.

Given his defensive shortcomings and the fact that he is in the second year of a $215 million,

five-year contract, the asking price for him is simply too much.

It would probably need a trade in which the Lakers get LaVine and the Bulls acquire D’Angelo Russell,

Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and the 2025 first-round selection for both sides to agree.

Just to make the maths work, you need Russell and Hachimura’s contracts, which seems like a big price to pay.

Giving LeBron James another chance doesn’t seem worth it, and I don’t think it benefits you in the long run,

but if the Lakers want to make the move, this might be the necessary step to do.

The path to Dejounte Murray

Murray is a far better choice for the gold and purple.

He’s a lot younger player with a better upside who is signed to a four-year, $120 million contract.

Though both teams appear to be at a distance from one another and the reported asking price is considerable,

weeks of possible discussions remain.

There is justification for the exchange on both sides.

Trae Young and Aaron Murray, the backcourt of Atlanta, are currently 16-23,

a testament to their lack of success as a unit.

They mostly concentrate on creating a winner around Young because he is their star player.

Los Angeles’s record isn’t much better at 20–21, but with Murray joining the team,

things might improve enough to offer Los Angeles a chance to compete in the West.

Both sides will need to make concessions in order to gain Murray and satisfy both parties.

The Lakers have the option to deal Reaves, but if they do, they’ve stated that they’d prefer more than Murray.

Furthermore, considering how much they had to sell to the San Antonio Spurs in order to acquire

Murray in the first place,

the Hawks appear to desire Reaves in addition to Murray.

Reaves, Prince, Vincent, Reddish, and Hayes should be enough to entice Atlanta to agree to a deal,

but Los Angeles loses so many assets in the deal that it’s difficult to see a net gain,

even with guys like Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanović returning.

Zagging

Fans tend to concentrate on the big names,

but occasionally hitting a few singles can result in more runs scored than simply aiming high.

I thus considered guys who, while not the greatest names,

could make a major difference for the Lakers in the margins.

Two excellent players who can score, distribute the floor,

and offer the Lakers size are Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neal.

The team is strengthened by a deal involving Cam Reddish, Hood-Schifino, Vincent, and Prince.

You still have to deal for a player like Murray if you want to keep important assets like Russell,

Hachimura, and Reaves. This is more of a marginal move that nevertheless gives you

the opportunity to hit a big one somewhere else.

If L.A. wants a splashier move, they can trade for Terry Rozier.

A deal straight up with Russell involved works and maybe they can throw in a second to compel

the Hornets to make the move. Rozier may not be the biggest name,

but he’s a certified bucket and a primary ball handler.

Two things have been true for several years now:

Kyle Kuzma still wants to be a Laker and the Lakers still have interest in him. Can they bring him home?

The pairing of him and Jordan Poole is entertaining but not conducive to winning.

If they want to move on from Kuzmania, the Lakers could trade away

Russell and Hood-Schifino to make that happen.

Kuzma isn’t a primary ball handler but can score and understands his role under Anthony Davis and James.

He understands what it means to be a Laker and loves being one,

so I think you’d get the best version of himself in a return.

It’s been reported by Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report that

the Wizards would want two first-round picks for Kuzma and that seems too hefty of a price.

But, again, it’s part of the negotiation game.

We still have weeks to go before the dust settles on trades and what

this team will look like in the season’s home stretch.

These trades show examples of what is possible and what options are available to the Lakers,

depending on who they are willing to move on from.

This team has defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder twice,

defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in close games, and taken home the NBA In-Season Tournament title.

Despite finishing below.500 on the season,

they have elite talent, and you could envision a situation in which a few changes would put them back in the running.

To make that happen, they need to close these deals,

so let’s see whether Rob Pelinka, vice president of basketball operations, can pull another surprise at trade deadline.

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