The Lakers are still not a good team despite the resurgence of Anthony Davis as a top-10 player in the NBA. Anthony Davis is currently posting 27.4 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.3 SPG, and 2.1 BPG on 59.4% shooting from the field. Unfortunately, Anthony Davis is out with a stress fracture in his foot and could be back in January if things go well with his recovery. Of course, without Davis, it will be even tougher for the Lakers to bounce back from a frustrating start to the year, and LeBron James made that clear:
- Lakers Land Zach LaVine And Alex Caruso
- Bring Back Some Familiarity To The Roster
- The Lakers Are Back In Business With A Big Three And A Revamped Starting Lineup
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“Reality is, without AD, we lose a lot of length, which we don’t have already,” James said. “So we have to make up in ways that, without AD, is very difficult, very challenging. So, I think at one point we had a lineup of I think [Austin Reaves] was the tallest guy on the court. So, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out [that Davis is sorely missed].”
LeBron James has played well on offense, posting 27.8 PPG on 49.6% from the field, 30.6% from three, and 74.0% from the free-throw line. No doubt, LeBron and Davis have been solid, and their excellent numbers are from one of the best duos in the NBA. The only way for the Lakers to get back into championship contention is to package the frontrunner for 6th Man of the Year, Russell Westbrook, and other valuable role players to make some blockbuster trades. Of course, first-round picks must be included in trade packages to boost this team back to championship status. LeBron James is only going to get older, so the Lakers must act fast and act now.
The master plan for the Los Angeles Lakers is to acquire one of the best perimeter scorers in the NBA and a former Lakers who can occupy both forward positions while providing some familiarity to the franchise. It will not be easy for the Purple and Gold to get back into contention, but it is very possible. Here is the master plan for the Lakers to create a championship team around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Lakers Land Zach LaVine And Alex Caruso
Trade Package: Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn, 2027 First-Round Pick, 2029 First-Round Pick for Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso
It is obvious that the Lakers have been in win-now mode ever since they acquired Anthony Davis before the 2020 NBA season. In fact, the win-now nature of their actions has left the franchise scrambling for ways to recover and focus on the future. It seems the Lakers have mortgaged their future anyways, so they must make moves to add a third star to their roster to not fade into long obscurity. There could be a player available to take them out of their misery: Zach LaVine.
Zach LaVine is a dream target for the Lakers, especially because he is 27 years old and has a ton of basketball ahead of him. The 2-time All-Star is one of the most talented players in the game right now because he is an offensive machine when he gets into his rhythm. Starting off as an incredible dunker with explosive hops, LaVine has worked on his game to add a sniper of a long-range shot and also improved his passing ability. LaVine is posting 22.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 4.2 APG on 45.2% shooting from the field, 37.0% from three, and 83.2% from the line this season. The Bulls have not benefitted per se, as they are 14-18 and are not convincing anyone that they deserve to contend in the Eastern Conference.
The shooting guard is doing his best to keep Chicago afloat, but it has not been enough through 32 games so far. In come the Lakers, who add a star player to their Big Two of LeBron and Davis to create a Big Three. With LeBron acting as a point-forward, LaVine and Davis control the scoring and take a massive load off The King for the first time since the 2020 season. Russell Westbrook could be the 6th Man of the Year this season, but no Lakers fan will want to hold onto him when it comes to Zach LaVine.
Respect must also be given to Alex Caruso, one of the key contributors to the Lakers’ 2020 championship season. The guard went from a fun player to follow to an impactful two-way guard, acting as a lockdown perimeter defender and three-point shooter. At age 28, Caruso can still play at a high level and will become the team’s starter without a doubt. At a glance, Caruso’s numbers look below average (career 6.1 PPG, 2.8 APG), but his impact is easily above-average.
Similarly, Kendrick Nunn continues to go through the motions and is not ready to play basketball yet. The first-round picks will always hurt, but the Lakers are in the win-now mode because even if they tank, they cannot acquire Victor Wenbenyama because New Orleans holds those picks. The first step to getting back to championship contention is to acquire a third star to carry the offensive load and create a Big Three that LeBron James has had during his first three championship runs.
For Chicago, acquiring two late first-round picks make a ton of sense because LeBron James most likely won’t be around for the Lakers by the time 2027 and 2029 come around. The Bulls also clear cap space with Westbrook off the books next year and can possibly get the best out of Kendrick Nunn again. With the deal, the Bulls can tank immediately and start the process of rebuilding around young players.
Bring Back Some Familiarity To The Roster
Trade Package: Patrick Beverley, Juan Toscano-Anderson for Kyle Kuzma
The Lakers need to remember what made them so dominant in 2020, and that was size, defense, and length. Kuzma is not the greatest defender in the world, but he has the physical tools to be an impact player on both ends of the court. Remember, Kuzma was on the 2020 championship team and was a solid role player for them. At 6’9”, he is an upgrade for the Lakers in terms of length and athleticism and is having a pretty good year as well.
Kyle is averaging 21.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 3.5 APG on 46.9% shooting from the field, 34.3% from three, and 68.9% from the line. Those are very good numbers that are indicative of a player playing on a bad team, but he can certainly post 14 PPG with the Lakers as the starting power forward. Shooting 34% from three isn’t ideal, but it could work at the end of the day. Acquiring Kuzma means the Lakers can have 4 players outside of Anthony Davis who can operate in one-on-one situations.
Davis is also a very capable passer and will be able to find open teammates when he is double-teamed. So why would the Washington Wizards be willing to help out the Lakers by engaging in a deal with them? The reason is the fact that the team isn’t great right now at 13-21 and will eventually have to move their key pieces. Bradley Beal is one major name that has been in trade rumors for the past few years, and Kyle Kuzma is another one.
It is highly likely that Kyle Kuzma will leave Washington with nothing because he won’t re-sign there and will look for a big market that wants to pay him well. Instead of losing a young player and not replacing him, they can at least acquire Patrick Beverley and Juan Toscano-Anderson to boost their depth and possibly make moves with them later. Of course, they can tank right now and not waste a season fighting for a play-in seed in the Eastern Conference standings. By tanking this season, they get a better chance at a higher pick. So far, Washington’s pick stash is not the greatest. Here is a quick run-down of their first-round pick situation:
The Washington Wizards owe their first-round pick to the New York Knicks in 2023 unless they are a lottery team again. The pick is top 14 protected in 2023, top 12 in 2024, top 10 in 2025, and top 8 in 2026. Beyond that, it conveys as second-round picks.
Overall, Washington needs to make moves to get back to a rebuild and focus on the future. The best step would be to cash in on Kyle Kuzma and start tanking as of next week.
The Lakers Are Back In Business With A Big Three And A Revamped Starting Lineup
With both deals in place, the Los Angeles Lakers starting lineup becomes LeBron James, Alex Caruso, Zach LaVine, Kyle Kuzma, and Anthony Davis. That resembles the 2020 championship team, doesn’t it? LeBron is the stalwart at the point guard spot and will be required to create shots for others and finish games when required. In a sense, LeBron will always be LeBron. Remember, in the 2020 season, James led all players in APG for the Lakers and will take that role for the Lakers when Caruso and LaVine are in town.
Alex Caruso is a hound on defense and an elite perimeter defender who has a rapport with LeBron James and Lakers fans. Caruso can defend, pass, and space the floor much better than Patrick Beverley can right now. With the Social Media GOAT back in town, the feel-good factor is also back for the franchise. Of course, Zach LaVine becomes the go-to scorer on the perimeter and is a far better version of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who was also an excellent outside shooter.
Luckily, with Westbrook leaving, the Lakers have the cap space to afford Zach LaVine now and in the future. Westbrook’s $44 million contract will head to Chicago, meaning LaVine and Caruso can be afforded as the next highest-paid players on the roster according to the Lakers’ salary cap right now. This master plan works both financially and on the court, and the Lakers certainly upgrade what they currently have.
With Caruso and LaVine in the lineup, Los Angeles has a ton of floor-spacing and perimeter defense which they sorely need. Finally, the frontcourt with Kuzma and Davis looks solid as they can both space the floor, defend in a versatile way, and also provide energy and length. The Lakers are better with Kuzma because he can hit corner threes and has the athleticism to provide a boost on both ends of the floor. Not to mention, he was part of the 2020 championship team as well.
The bench also looks solid, with Lonnie Walker, Thomas Bryant, and Dennis Schroder providing valuable minutes. Schroder has always been best as a 6th man and could be a version of what Russell Westbrook is providing this year. Walker is another perimeter defender who has energy and youth, and Bryant is a capable backup center who can shoot and finish inside. Overall, the Lakers are right back in business with two major trades that could completely revamp their roster and give LeBron James a roster to be happy about again.
