The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to make a move before the February 6 trade deadline after showing signs of being a competitive franchise at different points this season. Coach JJ Redick has the Lakers sitting at 27-19 this season, looking to be a genuine contender for home-court advantage. They could seal a top-four seed in the West if they show some initiative and make an aggressive mid-season trade.
The Atlanta Hawks are looking to balance out the clutter on their roster, stuck halfway between an aging roster and a developing roster. They could begin this process of decluttering by moving off veterans like Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Coincidentally, those plays provide some of the exact skills the Lakers are missing on their roster right now.
Trade Details
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Clint Capela ($22.2 million), Bogdan Bogdanovic ($17.2 million)
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Jarred Vanderbilt ($10.7 million), Rui Hachimura ($17.0 million), Gabe Vincent ($11.0 million), Jalen Hood-Schifino ($3.8 million), 2029 Lottery-Protected First-Round Pick (LAL), 2025 Second-Round Pick (LAL)
This deal gives the Lakers a proven scoring option and the hard-nosed center that Anthony Davis has been openly requesting. Even JJ Redick has openly discussed wanting a center on the roster after becoming head coach, so this deal allows them to address two problems at once at the cost of some future assets.
The Lakers Can Land Veterans To Win Now
The Lakers have been looking at ways to upgrade their roster without giving up major assets. This deal allows them to essentially trade on the value of their players like Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura while sending minor draft assets along with a protected first-round pick to facilitate the cap dump of Gabe Vincent.
Capela is averaging 9.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game this season, slowly being unseated by the younger Onyeka Okongwu on the franchise. The same goes for Bogdan Bogdanovic, who’s averaging 10.0 points after ceding minutes to younger options such as Dyson Daniels and Keaton Wallace. Both players still provide the exact skills the Lakers could benefit from.
Davis doesn’t need to permanently give up playing center, using Capela as an option he can spend minutes alongside but primarily have him as a backup to keep the Lakers’ interior defense solid. Bogdanovic likely wouldn’t be a starter either, but he’d be a fantastic sixth man for them as the Lakers currently have no offensive options off the bench.
This could be a beneficial trade for the Lakers for this season, also opening up greater contract flexibility in the summer with Bogdan being on an expiring contract and Capela set to hit free agency.
The Hawks Re-Tool Their Roster
The Atlanta Hawks are 22-26 this season. There is no way they can realistically be a Playoff threat this season, especially with the loss of Jalen Johnson to a season-ending injury. They can’t bottom-out and tank either as their first-round pick is owed to the San Antonio Spurs. The only way to save their season is to make intelligent adjustments on the fringes of the roster to improve results.
This deal allows Atlanta to move off two aging veterans for a solid price while gaining some less-spectacular players but with redeemable value. Rui Hachimura is averaging 12.4 points and 5.2 rebounds this season, fitting into the Hawks’ frontcourt in Johnson’s absence. The same applies to Jarred Vanderbilt, who is a defensive specialist averaging 3.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.0 steals in three games this season.
Gabe Vincent could be a decent backup guard with strong defensive principles while Jalen Hood-Schifino is a project that could pay off years from now. This isn’t a perfect deal but it gives the Hawks some way to stay in the mix for the 2025 Playoffs with younger stars who complement their roster well.
This Deal Could Backfire For Both Squads
The Lakers rotation has been unimpressive for most of the season, especially with the recent downturn in Rui Hachimura’s production and the generally poor offensive impact of Vanderbilt. If the Hawks move off veterans for these players and they wind up being net-negatives, the Hawks will likely regret it, even with the future picks they received.
The Lakers have much more to lose, as this is a bet that Capela and Boigdanvoic can thrive in new roles on their roster. Sometimes veteran players are just a step too slow to make such adjustments mid-season, so the Lakers could wind up hurting their roster by taking away its versatility.
Nonetheless, it likely could pay dividends for both as it fills specific roster gaps for both franchises.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
