The Los Angeles Lakers appear poised to seriously improve their rotation with a high-basketball-IQ backcourt “connector” and a versatile forward, plus a future first-round asset, all without giving up major assets in this trade idea.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns are reportedly looking to add to their poor perimeter defense with a gritty locker-room presence and floor-spacing veteran, keeping one foot firmly planted in their rebuild. And somewhere in the middle, the Cleveland Cavaliers seem to be positioning to capitalize on the chaos, fielding a minor return that could just be a quiet retool.
By dangling a mix of future capital and experienced contributors, this trade idea brings together the Lakers’ immediate championship push, the Suns’ construction, and Cleveland’s retooling. It’s a three-team trade that promises each team gets what they need for 2025-26.
Proposed Trade Details
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Grayson Allen, Dean Wade, 2028 first-round pick (BKN/NYK/WAS)
Phoenix Suns Receive: Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxi Kleber, 2032 second-round pick (LAL)
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Oso Ighodaro
Los Angeles Lakers Add More Shooting And Defense To A Championship Roster
The Lakers just got smarter on both ends, landing a marksman who spreads the floor and a high-IQ glue-guy who can guard multiple spots. First off, Grayson Allen brings elite shooting: he shot 42.6% from deep last season and had an effective field-goal percentage of 60.0%.
Add in a career average of about 10.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists over 403 games, and you’ve got a reliable rotational sniper who boosts efficiency. Then there’s Dean Wade, quiet, versatile, effective. Last season, he logged 5.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 41.3% from the field and 36.0% from deep in 59 games on a $6.6 M expiring deal.
Wade can defend multiple faces, pop threes, and comes at a price that won’t cap-strangle the roster. Putting Allen’s sniper touch alongside Wade’s positional flexibility gives the Lakers two efficient, selfless pieces that wood-chip the minutes without forcing lineups.
That’s smart roster building, not flashy, but championship-ready. The Lakers have more than enough star power with Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, but they need defense and shooting ability around them. This trade gives them that without losing any key role players such as Rui Hachimura.
Phoenix Suns Add A Promising Defender While Shedding Salary
Phoenix quietly refines its rebuild by bringing in a defensive workhorse while alleviating cap stress, two moves in one. Jarred Vanderbilt (4.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.0 SPG) is the defensive bouncer every contending team craves: his career defensive rating sits at a stout 109.7, and he boasts elite athleticism, a 6’9″ frame, 6’11” wingspan, near-elite lateral quickness, and defensive awareness.
This allows Phoenix to keep cash flow moving toward their young core or future in-season acquisitions. It’s a practical move masked in subtlety … until you see the books. Phoenix essentially gets a defensive tone-setter while cutting long-term financial shackles.
This gives the Suns exactly what they need in a rebuild: defense, value, and room to maneuver. They also move on from Allen’s salary ($16,875,000 and $18,125,000 over the next two seasons) since he won’t be helping a rebuilding team much anyway. Dillon Brooks can also replace Allen for the full-time wing spot, and the addition of an expiring Maxi Kleber contract ($11,000,000) is nothing but a positive during their rebuild.
Cleveland Cavaliers Bring On An Intriguing Youngster
Cleveland quietly pulls in a 22-year-old rookie with skills soft enough to develop and long-term upside steep enough to watch. Oso Ighodaro averaged 4.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists on an efficient 60.4 % field-goal shooting line as a 6’10” forward across 61 games in his rookie year.
Drafted 40th overall in 2024, Oso turned Marquette into his own lab: started 72 games in his final two seasons, grew into a dependable scoring/starter type. At first glance: modest numbers. But he’s a high-IQ, smooth-moving big with jumper touch and court awareness. That’s the kind of developmental gem teams love to stash and coach up. Cleveland isn’t swinging for the fences; they’re drafting patience.
They just added a quietly multi-skilled youth who could grow into minutes if the gamble pays off. No fireworks, but plenty of potential, and that’s exactly Cleveland’s style right now.
Huge Trade That Gives Each Team What They Need… Particularly The Lakers
This three-team blockbuster is certainly huge, not because of star power, but because of shoring up the bench. The Lakers emerge with elite shooting and defensive flexibility in Grayson Allen and Dean Wade, plus a future first-round pick that fuels their win-now dream without mortgaging their future.
Given Allen’s recent 46.1% three-point clip with Phoenix and Wade’s reputation as a versatile, reliable 3-and-D forward, Cleveland nearly ransomed the Rockets for, LA doesn’t just plug holes, they add quality and depth in high-value, cost-controlled packages.
The Suns walk away with a defensive force in Jarred Vanderbilt, athletic, switchable, and a throwback on the defensive end, all while trimming Kleber’s salary and re-balancing the cap sheet. It’s a subtle pivot, but one that clears the way for more flexibility while still reinforcing their perimeter defense.
And for the Cavaliers, Oso Ighodaro is a throwback of sorts. A steady, versatile youngster with passing, rim-running, and positional defensive promise, developed during a four-year stint at Marquette, where he averaged double-digit scoring and earned All-Big East Second Team honors.
