The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into the 2024-25 season with a mildly altered roster, primarily replacing the outgoing Taurean Prince with rookie Dalton Knecht. Outside of that, the Lakers are hoping the magic of new head coach JJ Redick is enough for an improvement that can change their fate from first-round exits to potentially NBA Champions again. That goal won’t be possible until the Lakers add some more depth to their roster.
The Charlotte Hornets have taken permanent residence at the bottom of the NBA, making their last Playoff appearance in 2018. Despite drafting players like LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, the team is making the final touches on figuring out their franchise’s future roster, with certain players fitting in and others needing to be moved out.
In my opinion, Nick Richards is a valuable NBA big man on the market given the Hornets’ current situation. With the Lakers wanting to acquire a big man, this could be the best available player on the market for this price.
Trade Details
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Nick Richards
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Jalen Hood-Schifino, Jaxson Hayes, 2025 Second-Round Pick (LAL)
This trade allows the Hornets to add two players with high ceilings for the cost of one who could be a valuable piece right now, but the Hornets aren’t equipped to maximize what he brings to the table. Hood-Schifino could be a project point guard, especially as a backup to the oft-injured Ball, while Lewis is a good athlete with an encouraging shooting stroke, giving him great upside as a realized prospect.
The Lakers Finally Add An Ideal Big Man
The Lakers haven’t been able to find a contributing big man that isn’t Anthony Davis since they had Marc Gasol on the roster in the 2020-21 season. Davis has carried that position, with LeBron James playing most of the 2021-22 season at that position due to injuries to Davis.
These two players can’t be the first options when it comes to center depth, considering James should be a wing and Davis wants to play alongside other big men, allowing him to be a roaming power forward instead.
Nick Richards averaged 9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks last season, showing flashes of high-level big-man play. He’s a gritty option who showed the ability to cover perimeter assignments in stretches, which would make him a nice option next to Davis.
Richards will be able to absorb most of the big man’s responsibilities, allowing Davis to focus on being a free-roam defender who doesn’t need to make worrying about protecting the rim his primary defensive duty.
Adding Richards gives the Lakers some versatility amongst their big man. Jaxson Hayes brings size and rebounding while Christian Wood can add offensive finesse with his shooting ability.
The 26-year-old brings a do-it-all interior mentality with solid athleticism and good offensive instincts. His being able to play center while Davis plays power forward will be a massive tool that the other options on the Lakers haven’t been able to do.
The Hornets Add Potentially Valuable Future Pieces
The Hornets have been stuck at the bottom of the NBA for the last few seasons, primarily due to the injury-proneness of franchise point guard LaMelo Ball. I think it’s worth it for the Hornets to try and get a healthy season out of Ball, especially with the strong young pieces around him at the time.
Richards isn’t one of them, as his skill set looks to have peaked while this franchise is still growing with starting center Mark Williams. Without putting a long-term cap on their growth at the center position, the Hornets can move Richards and add two players to their roster who could be greater contributors in the future.
Jalen Hood-Schifino averaged 1.6 points in 21 games while averaging 5.2 minutes but came out of the University of Indiana averaging 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, showing promise as an NBA-caliber combo guard who can impact the game on both ends of the court.
Lewis was a second-round pick in last year’s draft, coming out of the University of Pepperdine averaging 17.1 points and 5.7 rebounds as a sophomore. He has looked like a raw prospect through the NBA games the Lakers have given him opportunities in, but there’s undeniable upside with his athleticism and hope he can develop a consistent jumper.
Hood-Schifino can play an instant role as LaMelo’s backup ahead of someone like Duane Washington Jr. Tre Mann will be a relied-upon backcourt piece as well, but he’s often used as the two-guard in lineups as well. Lewis might have a slower path to actualization, but the Hornets have the space to bet on Hood-Schifino’s future in this deal to emerge as long-term winners.
A Minor Move With Major Consequences
I think it’s pretty shocking that the Lakers have chosen to make almost no changes to their roster this summer after what we saw last season. Yes, Darvin Ham had lost the locker room, and playing within a more structured offense can yield better results, but not enough to transform the Lakers into contenders.
Being satisfied with Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell while betting on Max Christie’s development makes sense, but not making any changes to the frontcourt after the issues they had last season is surprising.
Richards gives them a new dimension as a big man, especially with Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood expected to miss the start of the season, and Christian Koloko waiting for medical clearance to return to an NBA court.
The Hornets would be better off with some talented future prospects than Richards as a big man, who can be a dependable option but doesn’t increase their ceiling in any way. The value on offer with developing Hood-Schifino might be greater, so this is a deal they should be all over.
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