With the Patrick Beverley trade, the Los Angeles Lakers made their first big move of the summer and reinforced the idea that they are not giving up on what the team can become with some minor tweaks and adjustments.
This is why, this summer, Lakers President/GM Rob Pelinka has been hard at work trying to build the best possible team around LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook.
Now, according to Marc Stein, a potential deal with the Jazz could be possible for L.A. due to Danny Ainge’s interest in the team’s 2027 and 2028 first-rounders.
If the Knicks manage to win the trade race for Utah’s Donovan Mitchell, or even if another team unexpectedly beats them to Mitchell, league sources say there’s a decent chance that the Lakers will be involved in the deal. The two future first-round picks that the Lakers possess in 2027 and 2029 are the kind of top-shelf draft picks that Jazz CEO Danny Ainge is believed to covet. Russell Westbrook’s $47 million expiring contract and those picks could be the Lakers’ entrée to a potential three-team swap … depending on the players that would land in Los Angeles.
In Utah, the Jazz are clearly spiraling towards a rebuild in the aftermath of Rudy Gobert’s departure. It has put Donovan Mitchell on the trade block, but the price remains sky high.
At one point in the offseason, Ainge was asking for up to seven first-round picks for Mitch.
The Knicks are still trying to find a way to bring Donovan Mitchell home in a way that makes sense.
According to multiple industry sources, the Knicks were turned off by Utah team president Danny Ainge’s initial demands, when he asked in July for a package of seven first-round picks and players. Talks died, but recently there has been renewed back-and-forth.
So, with Ainge low on trade options, it makes sense that he’d look at capturing the Lakers’ last few remaining assets. While we don’t know what kind of players the Lakers would land in the deal, the Jazz could certainly stand to gain from owning two of L.A.’s future picks.
LeBron James is older, Anthony Davis is an uncertainty, and the window appears to be closing fast. If Danny Ainge can secure those two picks in 2027 and 2029, it might just net them a huge young star.
Either way, don’t be surprised to see the Jazz and the Lakers talking things out over the next few weeks.
