The Los Angeles Lakers‘ offseason plan has been driven by the intent to become a more cohesive unit capable of contending for the title. Although the team has taken steps in the right direction, it’s evident that these efforts aren’t sufficient.
The Western Conference is expected to be extremely competitive next season, especially as teams improve their roster strength. In this regard, the Lakers’ efforts have seen them acquire Jake LaRavia to add wing depth and Deandre Ayton to solidify their big man rotation.
The Purple and Gold endure added pressure to become contenders as the likelihood of LeBron James requesting a trade increases with each passing day. To improve their chances of retaining their superstar, the front office must act quickly to acquire another to solidify their lineup.
In a bold trade proposal shared by Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell and Rohan Raman, featuring the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks, the Lakers can fulfill all their goals at the price of their key assets. Let’s take a look at the trade idea.
Proposed Trade Details
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Bam Adebayo
Miami Heat Receive: Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, 2031 first-round pick
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Maxi Kleber
The Hawks play the role of facilitators in this trade, taking on the cap hit of Maxi Kleber‘s contract to give the Lakers and the Heat more leeway with navigating their salary cap structure.
In this scenario, the acquisition of Bam Adebayo transforms the Lakers’ starting rotation. Meanwhile, with Austin Reaves, Miami’s backcourt becomes significantly more formidable.
With this in mind, we explore the deeper impact of the trade on the teams involved.
The Lakers Form A Big 4
Bam Adebayo’s arrival would usher in a new era for the Los Angeles Lakers. With the gifted two-way big man joining the team, the Lakers effectively form a Big 4 with Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Bam Adebayo, and Deandre Ayton.
The frontcourt pairing of James, Adebayo, and Ayton has a lot of merit. Despite being slightly undersized for a traditional center, Adebayo remains a dominant defensive presence.
Owing to his length, athletic ability, and strength, the 3x All-Star is capable of anchoring the team’s defense while also being a key player on the offensive end.
Last season, he recorded noteworthy averages of 18.1 points and 9.6 rebounds while shooting 48.5% from the field and 35.7% from three-point range. His ability to stretch the floor and operate from the midrange made him a viable offensive threat.
When paired with Ayton, the two big men would make for a formidable rebounding duo. Meanwhile, his athleticism would also make him a capable lob threat alongside Doncic, who is known to reward his centers.
Adebayo’s addition also gives a lot of flexibility to the team with regard to how they play James. At 40 years old, the Lakers would do well to limit the minutes played by their superstar to conserve him for the postseason.
With the 27-year-old already shouldering a bigger role on defense, the Lakers could also look at James being given more time to rest during games.
Adebayo also signed a three-year, $160,838,784 deal, which will come into effect in the summer of 2026. Considering that James will be a free agent by then, the Lakers would benefit from trading for him now, as he becomes a part of the team’s long-term plans involving Doncic.
The Heat Acquire Young Talent
This trade scenario sees the Miami Heat acquire a plethora of talented young players from the Lakers, as well as draft capital. With Austin Reaves becoming the most valuable asset in the package, the Heat would benefit from his arrival the most.
Austin Reaves’ addition would have a massive implication for Miami’s current starting rotation. Considering that the franchise completed a trade to acquire Norman Powell from the Clippers, the addition of Reaves would effectively let them start with a three-guard lineup.
Reaves’ offensive upside has been acknowledged by several teams around the league. Considering his averages of 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game, the 27-year-old is capable of creating shots for himself as well as for his teammates.
Reaves’ arrival could complicate Miami’s plans for Tyler Herro, given their similar roles and skill sets. But with the two guards running the Heat backcourt, Miami could be a troublesome team for opposing defenses.
In addition to Reaves, the Heat would also acquire Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht. While Vincent primarily adds defensive support and experience to the backcourt rotation, Knecht brings a lot of value as a scorer.
With Duncan Robinson headed to the Detroit Pistons in the offseason, the Heat require perimeter shooters to boost their bench depth. Last season, the 24-year-old recorded an average of 9.1 points while shooting 37.6% from beyond the arc. Heading into his sophomore season, the Heat could expect better productivity from the young guard.
While the draft capital is undoubtedly valuable, Miami would gain additional cap flexibility next summer as Vincent is on an expiring contract and Reaves has a player option. While Reaves may demand a max extension after opting out of his contract, the Heat will have some latitude in deciding on this matter.
Who Benefits From This Trade?
This trade scenario is certainly a massive one, considering the number of moving parts and assets changing hands. But in the overall scheme of things, this trade may not be beneficial for the major players involved.
The Lakers stand to lose the least in this scenario. The addition of Bam Adebayo would indeed transform the Purple and Gold into a superteam. But this comes at the cost of their bench strength and their future. In a league moving away from the “Big Three” era, a move like this would be counterintuitive.
While James’ ultimatum certainly puts the Purple and Gold on a “win-now” timeline, the Lakers may not benefit from this gamble in the long run.
The Heat stand to lose the most in this scenario. While expiring contracts would allow them to make moves in the future, they would be in an extremely weakened position without their defensive anchor next season.
Kel’el Ware shows promise, but expecting him to take over from Adebayo at this stage would be overestimating his abilities. In addition to this, the overlap between Reaves and Herro could lead to more conflict in the backcourt than good, potentially leading to a greater drop-off in productivity.
The Hawks may be the only team that benefits from this deal, as a healthy Maxi Kleber is still capable of contributing to a winning team. When also considering that he’s on an expiring contract, Atlanta would enjoy cap flexibility for next year.
