With LeBron and Anthony Davis, the Lakers have all the workings of a true contender and, before the NBA’s hiatus, they had the record to prove it.
But if the team wants to maximize their chances to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy before James’ inevitable decline, they should make a move sooner rather than later.
Though their opportunities may be limited, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently suggested one trade that could result in the team picking up Spencer Dinwiddie. It involves a three-team deal with the Nets and Wizard who end up with Beal and Kuzma, respectively.
But Kuzma should still hold major interest to rebuilders as a versatile 6’8″ forward with a deep bag of scoring tricks. The problem is most rebuilders won’t have the kind of win-now help the Lakers want. That might open the door to a three-team exchange where Kuzma heads to the Wizards (along with more), Bradley Beal goes to Brooklyn and L.A. native (and longtime Lakers fan) Spencer Dinwiddie comes home.
Dubbed an “ideal target” by B/R’s Eric Pincus, Dinwiddie addresses a need for non-LeBron shot creation and is good enough on the ball to run the offense in relief of the stars. It would help if Dinwiddie were a bit more accurate with his three-ball (career 31.8 percent), but his willingness to fire (5.7 attempts since the start of 2017-18) might be enough to maintain optimal spacing.
“That might open the door to a three-team exchange where Kuzma heads to the Wizards (along with more), Bradley Beal goes to Brooklyn and L.A. native (and longtime Lakers fan) Spencer Dinwiddie comes home.”
Kuzma has been struggling to emerge as the star L.A. needs him to be. His poor shot selection and defensive lapses have stunted his potential and a fresh start might just do him good. By moving him, and getting a guy like Dinwiddie in return, the Lakers get to solve their depth problem in the backcourt with a border-line All-Star. This season, before the hiatus, Dinwiddie was averaging 20.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game on 41.5% shooting.
Needless to say, the deal benefits the Nets and Wizards as well, who get new players to help advance their own goals. The acquisition of Beal for the Wizards adds another top-tier scorer for the team and should be a great fit next to Durant and Irving. In Washington, Kuz could give them a renewed sense of hope, has his age still puts into question the height of his ceiling.
It’s a fair deal for all involved but there’s no real way to predict what might happen in the weeks and months to come. We’ll just have to wait and see how things play out.
