The Los Angeles Lakers had an awful season this year, and nobody can possibly deny that. Despite the brilliance of LeBron James, the Lakers could not find any form of unity on the court with Russell Westbrook playing inefficiently and Anthony Davis once again missing significant time on the court. 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.
- Lakers Land A Playmaker And A Good Shooter
- Hustle And Grit Mixed With Experience
- Ice In The Veins Back In LA
- Lakers Build A Team Around LeBron James
- The Blockbuster Deal Of The Summer
- Next
- The Los Angeles Lakers’ Current Players’ Status For The 2022-23 NBA Season: LeBron James, Anthony Davis And Russell Westbrook Will Earn $129.5 Million Combined
- The 20 Most Expensive NBA Players For The 2022-23 Season: Steph Curry Is The Highest Paid, Russell Westbrook And John Wall Are Top-4
- NBA Insider Reveals The Lakers’ Perfect Plan For The Next Season: Malcolm Brogdon And Buddy Hield For Russell Westbrook, Nick Nurse And Sam Presti Join The Lakers
- A 3-Team Blockbuster Deal That Would Be Perfect For The Lakers, Hornets, And Pacers
- Who Will Be The Next Face Of The Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Realistic And 4 Unrealistic Superstars That Could Join The Purple And Gold
In many ways, the Lakers’ season was down to multiple factors that resulted in a potential title-contender missing the playoffs completely. 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. But Anthony Davis could be another asset that could be dangled in trade discussions.
Here are the 5 blockbuster deals that the Lakers can go for that will make the fans drool with excitement. While most of these deals are possibly unrealistic with slim chances of actually occurring, anything can happen in the NBA and we have seen the Lakers swindle other franchises before in the past (Pau Gasol anyone?). Here are the deals 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.
Lakers Land A Playmaker And A Good Shooter
Trade Details: Malcolm Brogdon And Buddy Hield For Russell Westbrook
A very realistic deal could see Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield go to Los Angeles at the expense of Russell Westbrook. But why would Indiana give up two starting-caliber players for an aging veteran who is set to make over $40 million next year? The answer is because Westbrook is off the books after next year, and the Pacers can continue their rebuild around Tyrese Haliburton with empty cap space.
The Lakers can also get rid of a point guard who simply did not fit with LeBron James on the court, and acquire two sharpshooters that will space the floor at an elite level around both James and Anthony Davis. All season long, Lakers fans were wishing the franchise would have gone back in time and acquired Buddy Hield instead of Westbrook last offseason.
But Lakers fans want to see sharpshooting next season, and swapping their poorly fit point guard for two above-average shooters would be a blessing from the sky for the franchise. Luckily, this is a deal that could be on the table this summer if the Lakers can do some convincing.
Hustle And Grit Mixed With Experience
Trade Details: Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier For Russell Westbrook, Talen-Horton Tucker, 2027 First-Round Pick
The Los Angeles Lakers need to move on from Westbrook, not because he was solely at blame for the Lakers’ season but because he does not fit well with LeBron James. Russ cannot space the floor and needs the ball to be impactful, but there is no way James should ever play off the ball considering what he has done over his career. One option for the Lakers to move on from Russ is calling up Michael Jordan’s team.
The Charlotte Hornets were in the play-in tournament this season, and the team needs to make moves this offseason to give LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges a player that can impact the floor. Luckily for the Lakers, Michael Jordan is very fond of Russell Westbrook and could be looking forward to adding the former MVP to his roster. Westbrook could start alongside LaMelo because they are clearing space by moving on from Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier.
Together, Hornets fans will be treated to some exciting plays on the court. But this deal benefits the Lakers even more. Gordon Hayward is no longer an All-Star, but he can space the floor better than Russ and also has experience playing on some good teams. Terry Rozier gives the Lakers a proper defensive guard who can also shoot, and Lakers fans will absolutely love the hustle and grit that Rozier will bring to the roster.
Ice In The Veins Back In LA
Trade Details: D’Angelo Russell For Russell Westbrook
A direct swap could see the Lakers welcome back their former guard in D’Angelo Russell. Russell was supposed to be the Lakers’ future when he was on the roster at ages 19 and 20. The guard is an exceptional offensive player when he is playing at his best because he has the ability to shoot the ball from deep and also attack the rim.
D’Angelo is now 26 years old and has a few years of experience under his belt. That means the Lakers can make use of a scoring guard that can act as a playmaker because of his solid floor-spacing ability. If Russell can become an All-Star like he was in 2019, the Lakers can also have a potential Big Three.
Russell, James, and Davis do not automatically guarantee an NBA title but it certainly gets them closer to what they have now. In what can be considered somewhat of a “down year” for Russell, he still averaged 18.1 PPG and 7.1 APG despite only shooting 41.1% from the field and 34.0% from three. There is no doubt that D’Angelo would get those shooting numbers up with the Lakers, and he is automatically an upgrade over Westbrook.
Lakers Build A Team Around LeBron James
Trade Details: John Collins, Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter, 2022 First-Round Pick, 2026 Second-Round Pick For Anthony Davis
The Atlanta Hawks need to make changes and the Los Angeles Lakers do too. Luckily, there could be a deal on the table for both sides. The Hawks barely got into the playoffs this year, and only Trae Young can be considered untouchable at his point. The guard is putting up monster numbers on the court for Atlanta, and he continues to get better.
Imagine a duo with Young and Davis on the court. Davis might be the best lob partner that Young could ask for because he is a go-to scorer that can create for himself and force the defense to react. Of course, AD can cut to the rim and catch easy passes better than almost any big in the league. But this deal benefits the Lakers because they get 3 starting-caliber players to surround LeBron James with shooters and defenders. The Lakers roster was filled with non-existent defenders that couldn’t space the floor, and they were very old.
Collins and Hunter are both under 25 years of age and are floor-spacers that can defend their positions very well. Capela is also a defensive player that thrives on catching lobs and protecting the rim, things that will benefit both James and Westbrook – should the point guard remain with the team. Anthony Davis is the best talent in the deal, but he is hardly healthy and the Lakers cannot risk another season with the big man out. By acquiring two shooters and defenders and an elite defensive big man, the Lakers are back in title contention.
The Blockbuster Deal Of The Summer
Trade Details: Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Gabe Vincent For Anthony Davis
There is no question that this deal is unrealistic. But for Lakers fans, this is a deal they absolutely want to see. Bam Adebayo is a more impactful player in the NBA right now than Anthony Davis, mainly because he can stay healthy and impacts the game as an All-Star on both ends of the floor. Bam was in contention for Defensive Player of the Year, something Davis has yet to come close to with the Lakers.
Of course, the prized possession would be Tyler Herro. The shooting guard is an excellent offensive player who can create for himself, and that would be a blessing to a Lakers team that always needs LeBron James to carry the offense. With Herro on the court with James and Bam down low, the Lakers have a legitimate Big Three.
Lakers fans can only hope and pray for a deal like this because shooting and an All-Star big man is healthy is exactly what their team truly needs. Not to mention, Gabe Vincent is only 25 years old and brings youth and energy to a team devoid of that. The Lakers get younger with this deal but also add improving shooting and scoring to surround LeBron James with two All-Star-caliber players. Lakers fans can dream because that is all they can probably do at this point as Miami finished 1st in the East and probably won’t make major roster changes this offseason, especially if they make the NBA Finals again.
