The Los Angeles Lakers are showcasing their competitiveness in the Western Conference under JJ Redick, especially considering the challenges faced by Darvin Ham last season. After a promising start with a 4-2 record, the Lakers aim to strengthen their roster by trading some underperforming players. It has already been confirmed that they are looking to part ways with Jalen Hood-Schifino, their No. 17 pick from last year’s Draft.
Schifino (averaging 1.6 points in 21 games with the Lakes in 2023-24) is a talented 6’6″ combo guard who could have a future in the NBA, it’s just that the Lakers don’t seem to have the space or time to develop him. The 21-year-old guard can fulfill the potential that saw him get drafted ahead of Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Brandin Podziemski, provided a team takes a chance on him.
The Lakers will actively explore the market for rotational players they can acquire in a trade involving Schifino and other assets. Here are the three best players the Lakers might land by trading Hood and Schifino.
Walker Kessler
Lakers Receive: Walker Kessler
Jazz Receive: Jalen Hood-Schifino, Maxwell Lewis, 2029 First-Round Pick (LAL), 2031 Top-10 Protected First-Round Pick (LAL)
The Los Angeles Lakers have been heavily linked with Walker Kessler to start the season, as the 22-year-old center has reportedly been made available by the Utah Jazz in trade conversations, although at a steep price.
The Jazz want at least two first-round picks for letting a player of Kessler’s caliber go, given his age and the fact that he has two years left on a sub-$3 million contract, a tremendous asset for a win-now team.
Kessler is averaging 9.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks to open the season, showing small strides offensively while reinforcing his defensive strengths by ranking among the best shot-blockers in the NBA. The Jazz never intended to rebuild with Kessler after acquiring him in the Rudy Gobert trade as a throwaway inclusion, but he’s established himself as a highly talented shot-blocker, albeit offensively limited.
The Jazz might be one of the only places where Hood-Schifino can be developed, which could be a great value proposition for the franchise. If they can develop value out of Schifino, they could easily flip him due to his high ceiling and on-ball talents. Maxwell Lewis is another low-floor high-ceiling option on the roster, so the Jazz land two project pieces along with two very valuable first-round picks.
Marcus Smart
Lakers Receive: Marcus Smart
Grizzlies Receive: Jalen Hood-Schifino, D’Angelo Russell, 2025 Second-Round Pick (LAL)
JJ Redick has breathed new life into the Lakers as an offensive unit, but the rookie head coach is yet to figure out a defensive strategy that isn’t simply over-relying on Anthony Davis to protect the rim. There’s a lack of playable POA defenders on the Lakers, especially with Jarred Vanderbilt’s injury struggles from last season continuing into this year. They need a force on the perimeter who can funnel players into Davis intelligently, with Marcus Smart being the perfect option.
Smart has had a rough start to the 2024-25 season, averaging 5.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on a shockingly low 23.5% from the field. His offensive woes are hard to overlook, but Smart’s capable of leveling his production off as the season continues. In the meantime, he looks unplayable for the Memphis Grizzlies and could be moved for an offensive contributor before we even enter the new year.
D’Angelo Russell would be a solid offensive guard for the Grizzlies on an expiring contract, giving them future flexibility as compared to Smart having two years left on his contract.
Russell’s value around the NBA has been low, but Smart’s start to the season makes him an enticing option for the Grizzlies, while the Lakers land a player who fits their style and can beef them up defensively.
Kyle Kuzma
Lakers Receive: Kyle Kuzma
Grizzlies Receive: Jalen Hood-Schifino, D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, 2029 First-Round Pick (LAL)
Trading Kyle Kuzma away for Russell Westbrook in 2021 is one of the worst decisions the Lakers front office has ever made. He’s developed into a star-level offensive contributor while remaining a stalwart defender in the three years he’s spent on the tanking Washington Wizards. Kuzma is arguably one of the most intriguing pieces on the trade market because he’s been a proven winning contributor for the Lakers and has seemingly developed his game into being a two-way terror.
Kuzma is the best player the Lakers could hope to acquire for Schifino, provided they offer a strong package to the Wizards. He is averaging 17.0 points per game this season, and his $23 million contract is attracting interest from many contenders around the NBA.
The Lakers will need to include D’Angelo for contract reasons alongside Schifino and Lewis. Russell would serve as an expiring contract the Wizards can move on from next season while the other two players can be developmental projects buried on their bench, similar to what they did with Johnny Davis.
The Wizards didn’t trade Kuzma to the Dallas Mavericks to respect his personal wishes, so it’s hard to imagine a world where the Wizards refuse to trade him to the Lakers if he requests it. He’d be a complementary fit on almost all aspects of the court and one with the chemistry to maximize playing off LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
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