The Los Angeles Lakers had an atrocious season this past year, and nobody can possibly deny that when considering the expectations for the team at the start of the year. Despite the brilliance of LeBron James, averaging 30.3 PPG and 8.2 RPG, the Lakers could not find any form of unity on the court, with Russell Westbrook playing inefficiently and Anthony Davis again missing significant time on the court. Westbrook shot a putrid 29.8% from three and also nailed only 66.7% of his foul shots while turning the ball over 3.8 times per game. The big man only appeared in 40 games and, for the second straight year, played under 60 games. The rest of the roster was very poorly built, and head coach Frank Vogel could not get their guys going on either end of the floor. Of course, Vogel was fired at the start of the offseason for the Lakers.
- Lakers Finally Get A Controlled Point Guard To Fit With LeBron And A Key Spot-Up Shooter
- Utah Jazz Form The Most Athletic Backcourt In The Western Conference, Gain Cap Space Flexibility
- Lakers Win The Trade, Utah Can Clear House
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In many ways, the Lakers’ season was down to multiple factors that resulted in a potential title-contender missing the playoffs altogether. Los Angeles did not even have a chance to make the play-in tournament, something that is so unfathomable when considering the presence of three Hall of Famers on the team. Luckily, the season is over for the Lakers as the franchise aims to rebuild in the offseason and surround franchise superstar LeBron James with the right pieces to succeed. Of course, the man who will likely be moved is Russell Westbrook, a player who has been made scapegoat, whether fair or not. No matter what opinions you might have on the former MVP, there is no denying Westbrook must be traded out of Los Angeles.
There is no way the Lakers can run it back with the same team that missed the play-in tournament last year. First-year head coach Darvin Ham will likely not be able to perform magic that Frank Vogel couldn’t last year because the problem was not the coach but rather the poor fit of the roster. At the head of the problem is Russell Westbrook, a turnover-prone and ball-dominant point guard who thrives with the ball in his hands. That essentially means he will never coexist with The King on the court, no matter who the head coach is. No doubt about it, the Lakers need to trade Russell Westbrook immediately before more drama ensues in Los Angeles.
Luckily, there could be a blockbuster deal that is available right now for the Lakers to consider. Here is a blockbuster trade package that the Lakers can go for that will make the fans drool with excitement and actually give optimism to the 2022-23 NBA season. While this deal would take a ton of negotiation and consideration from both sides, anything can happen in the NBA, and we have seen the Lakers pull off spectacular trades with other franchises before in the past. Here is the deal that Lakers fans would love to see in the offseason to get LeBron James the help he needs to win another championship for the franchise, and it comes courtesy of the Utah Jazz.
Trade Package: Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic for Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker
Lakers Finally Get A Controlled Point Guard To Fit With LeBron And A Key Spot-Up Shooter
The Los Angeles Lakers listened to LeBron James’ advice last year and went for Russell Westbrook instead of spot-up shooters, including Buddy Hield. The reason? James is past his prime and needs help on the offensive end through ball-dominant players. On paper, the signing of Russell Westbrook made a ton of sense because the former MVP could control the offense to give James breathers throughout the season. The King felt that the Lakers needed another shot-creator and playmaker besides himself for the team to go far into the playoffs. Obviously, it just didn’t work out. Rather, the Lakers should have gone for efficient shooters from deep to help space the floor for James and Anthony Davis.
One of those point guards is Mike Conley, an efficient and steady point guard who shot 40.8% from three this past season. Conley is not considered a bonafide All-Star, but there is no question he is an upgrade over Russell Westbrook at this stage. Conley can clearly hit the three at an elite level, as per his shooting percentages, and is also less turnover-prone. The point guard is also very experienced, having had multiple playoff runs with the Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz, so he is ready to step in and contribute right away. A guy averaging 13.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 5.3 APG while nailing 40.8% of his threes could be a perfect fit for the Lakers.
Remember, James and Davis, are expected to be fully healthy this season. Surrounding them with an unselfish point guard who can knock down shots off the ball and also control the tempo would be a massive positive. Conely likely won’t ever make the Hall of Fame like Russell Westbrook will, but he is a better player for the Lakers than the former MVP is. Not to mention, the Lakers will also acquire sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic in the deal as well. Bogdanovic is, again, not a star, but he is a darn good shooter who averaged 18.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.7 APG while nailing 38.7% of his threes last year.
There is no doubt that Conley and Bogdanovic will slot into the starting lineup alongside James and Davis for the Lakers, as both players can defend and space the floor at a very high level. The Lakers desperately need shooting and perimeter defense, things neither Russell Westbrook nor Talen Horton-Tucker can provide right now. Speaking of Horton-Tucker, there is no doubt he had an inconsistent season last year, but he still has the potential to be a bonafide starter in the NBA.
A 6’4” shooting guard, Horton-Tucker has shown flashes of being a prominent offensive figure with solid ball-handling and shot-creation skills. This past season, he averaged 10.0 PPG and 3.2 RPG while shooting 41.6% from the field. The Lakers know his worth, but he is a necessary sacrifice to get out from under Russell Westbrook and add two shooters to help bring the team back to contention. No doubt about it, the Lakers cannot afford to wait for Horton-Tucker and must maximize LeBron James’ presence for as long as possible. Conely and Bogdanovic won’t guarantee a title, but they certainly bring the team much closer than they will be with Russell Westbrook as the third option.
Utah Jazz Form The Most Athletic Backcourt In The Western Conference, Gain Cap Space Flexibility
Clearly, the Los Angeles Lakers will benefit greatly from this deal. But what about the Utah Jazz? Well, they will continue their rebuild by adding a young piece and also an expiring contract. Not to mention, they can form one of the most athletic backcourts in the NBA, with Westbrook joining franchise star Donovan Mitchell. Now, Rudy Gobert is no longer on the roster, and the Jazz look to be rebuilding. They might trade Mitchell at some point, although they have shown the willingness to keep the talented shooting guard on their roster going forward. After all, they might want to rebuild around Mitchell instead of tanking the next few seasons.
If they do keep Donovan Mitchell, they must move on from Conley and Bogdanovic, two players who are over 33 years old and not fit for a rebuilding squad. Conley is making over $22 million for the next two seasons and will be 37 years old when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Meanwhile, Bogdanovic is 33 years old and will start slowing down on the defensive side of the court. Moving on from those two pieces will help Utah clear the deck and focus on its rebuild. Most importantly, the Jazz acquires a talented shooting guard in Talen Horton-Tucker.
As mentioned, Horton-Tucker had a bad year by averaging only 10.0 PPG on 41.6% shooting from the field. Those numbers are not indicative of what the 21-year-old can do on the basketball court because he was a promising young player before the 2022 season started. Utah can help bring out the best of Horton-Tucker as he gets more minutes and trust from a rebuilding team. Horton-Tucker is not as good as Conley or Bogdanovic right now, but he doesn’t have to be. The young man just needs time and effort put into his game to continue his improvement on both ends of the floor.
Finally, if the Jazz goes for this blockbuster deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, they can also form one of the most athletic backcourts in the NBA, with Russ joining Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt. No doubt about it, teams will struggle to defend either Mitchell or Westbrook on the fast break, and who knows, maybe the team can bring out the best of Russ again. The point guard can still average a triple-double if he has the ball more often, and he could flourish in Utah. If he plays well enough, he could return to the Jazz for a longer-term deal for an amount that is team friendly. Obviously, he is not a max player anymore.
Even if Russ is only kept for a season, the Jazz essentially has $47 million off their books to continue their rebuild, with or without Donovan Mitchell. Overall, the 2023 season will be one of transition for the Jazz as they look to live without their core of Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Mike Conley. Acquiring Russ for a year is a low-risk, high-reward gamble because he could return to All-Star form or go off the books the following season. Talen Horton-Tucker is only 21 years old and could be part of the rebuilding core for the franchise going forward.
Lakers Win The Trade, Utah Can Clear House
Overall, this trade benefits the Lakers more, and we know this. Russell Westbrook is not going to be at his best playing alongside LeBron James, especially when Laker Nation has essentially given up on the former MVP. It is obvious Russ wants out of his team yet again, and nobody wants to see the point guard spotting up for three-pointers in the Lakers offense anymore. It simply won’t work. The Purple and Gold will be lucky to acquire one of the better floor generals in the game today alongside a sharpshooter who averaged over 18 PPG last year.
The Lakers lineup would look much better with Conely, Bogdanovic, LeBron, and Davis, while Lonnie Walker or Austin Reaves complete the lineup. Losing Horton-Tucker is not ideal, but it certainly won’t be that much of a difference, considering the player only started 19 games last season. At 21 years old, he is not quite considered a win-now player anyways. Rather, Conley and Bogdanovic are exactly the type of win-now players the Lakers need.
Not to mention, the Utah Jazz keeps some excitement in their roster with the acquisition of Russell Westbrook as they try a low-stakes gamble. If Russ ends up playing decent but unspectacular, he could just be off the books, and the Jazz can go for the full-on rebuild. They also acquire a 21-year-old who fits on a rebuilding roster rather than a team that wants to go all-in. Utah is giving up the two best players in the deal, but for the sake of their rebuild and dedication to moving on from the Rudy Gobert-Donovan Mitchell era, this could be a blockbuster trade that could help both parties in some ways.Â
