What Should Lakers Do at the 2023 Trade Deadline?https://t.co/gCMUPgkaUQ via @BleacherReport
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) January 11, 2023
The Los Angeles Lakers have some decisions to make between now and the NBA’s February 9 trade deadline.
How aggressive can they be with Anthony Davis’ return-to-action timeline? How many pieces does the team need to join the contenders’ tier? Is there even a deal that would get them there? With some mystery still surrounding AD’s health, is it even worth going all in?
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus explored all of the above and revealed a handful of paths forward for one of the league’s most visible and storied franchises.
Should they go all-in and trade both of their oft-discussed 2027 and 2029 first-round picks? Would players like Bradley Beal or DeMar DeRozan be available in that case?
What about only sending one of the firsts for a lesser-known helper like Bojan Bogdanović?
If Davis and LeBron James are healthy, could the team get away with simply shuffling in some other role players?
Or, should the organization just sit this one out and hang on to the picks?
In other words, L.A. might be able to pursue a blockbuster, a notable upgrade, a minor upgrade or simply stand pat.
With all of those options on the board, Bleacher Report’s NBA staff rolled up its collective sleeves, chose the Lakers’ best path and provided specific trade packages for each.
1. Andy Baily: Blockbuster: Myles Turner, Buddy Hield
Lakers Receive:
-Myles Turner
-Buddy Hield
Pacers Receive:
-Russell Westbrook
-2027 first-round pick
-2029 first-round pick
2. Grant Hughes: Stand Pat: Lakers Shouldn’t Trade Anything
3. Dan Favale: Minor Upgrade: Josh Richardson
Lakers Receive:
-Josh Richardson
Spurs Receive:
-Patrick Beverley
-2023 second-rounder (most favorable from the Lakers or Chicago)
They SHOULD do something like #3, but my gut tells me they’ll do nothing. That’s neither good or bad from a ‘this team’ perspective since it’s almost always impossible to know if you’re making the right trade or if the guys you bring in will do better than the guys shipping out or even even if they’ll replicate whatever success they’re having that generates interest in the first place. Still, feels like a PatBev trade would have few repercussions on the court. Possibly big ones in the locker room.
What’s frustrating for me is this front office continues to be unable to decide what to do and rudderless without any long term vision or direction but due to nothing other than good luck are still alive and actually perfectly positioned at the halfway mark to make a trade that could be a difference maker. And you know Pelinka and Buss will chortle over what great decisions they made if they end up having a great deal fall into their lap. Better lucky than good.
I can’t say your gut isn’t wrong because betting on Pelinka to do nothing has to be a smart money bet based on history. I know that’s where you and I always will differ on predictions. I can get pissed and dump on the dumb moves they make but I can’t help trying to find the silver lining to remain optimistic about the purple and gold. Hard for me to imagine enjoying life if there was no hope for the Lakers, Yankees, 49ers, and Bruins.
Anyway, I think we will make a one-pick trade (with protection) involving Beverley, Nunn, and Jones. Targets I would hope for would include Turner, Hield, Bogdanovic, Trent Jr, VanVleet, Oubre Jr, or Kuzma. I also think there are several zero-pick trades we could pursue like Reddish, Bey, Burks, Bamba, Washington using Lonnie Walker IV as the bait.
Once AD returns and Beverley is traded (which is why the Lakers will make at least the small trade to balance the roster and eliminate too many guards), the Lakers starting lineup should be Schröder, Reaves, James, Davis, and Bryant with a bench of Christie, Brown Jr, Gabriel, and the players we get for Beverley, Nunn, Jones, and Walker. With help from a couple of trades, I think that roster could be a serious competitor if they could stay healthy.
The healthy part is all that really matters.
I like your first group.
I am seeing #2 and #3 as the most likely of the options if anything were to happen. If there is going to be any trade let it be cosmetic in nature unless we stumble upon a home run. Also, I keep remembering Jamie saying Rob doesn’t do any in-season trades. That’s another thing to keep an eye on.