PREDICTING THE NEXT MOVE(S) FOR THE LAKERS

In case you did not know, Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers front office just executed a trade. Not just any type of trade, though. This one was almost too good to be true.

It was pretty much just a matter of time before D’Angelo Russell got shipped out the moment he waived his no-trade clause in the Summer of 2023. He may have his critics, but D’Lo’s second stint in LA was quietly impressive. Still, his $18.7 million salary alone made him a prime candidate for relocation. His fellow traveler, 22-year-old swingman Maxwell Lewis, was right there with him in the mix of this team’s likeliest goners.

Prior to any official word of this exchange, there were a few glaring areas of need for the Lakers: rebounding and shooting. No matter how much talent a team has, they are going to struggle to win games if they are struggling in what are probably the 2x most important areas of the sport. Through the first 31 games, opponents are out-rebounding the Lakeshow (44.2 | 41.2). Those same opponents are also owning the offensive glass, as the Lakers’ injury-plagued frontcourt is allowing the 8th most offensive boards per game (11.4). If that statistic does not set off any alarms in your mind, than the team’s 35.3% success rate from deep (19th in the league) should.

Opening trade season by scratching one of those itches was mandatory, and the manner in which Robby P did so was downright dirty. With the aforementioned tandem (Russell x Lewis), the Lakers scooped Dorian Finney-Smith + Shake Milton from the Brooklyn Nets WITHOUT parting with a single one of their beloved 1st-Round picks (which they are rumored to be dangling in discussions).

Finney-Smith been proved himself as one of the game’s elite 3&D wings. The NBA’s 18th most effective outside shooter this year (43.5% on 5.4 attempts per game), Finney-Smith’s career 35.9% hit rate from distance (4.3 attempts per game) supports the sentiment that his flame-throwing this season is no fluke. Outside shooting aside, it is his defensive acumen in which you will find the truest treasure in the acquisition of DFS. His 6’7”, 220 pound frame makes him a viable option at the 4, and he has primarily split time between that spot and the 3 thus far in his 8-year career. His scrappy demeanor can even buy him minutes at the 5, and Brooklyn’s skipper Jordi Fernandez was running him at the center spot almost pretty much regularly this year as a result of compiling injuries among the Nets’ big bodies.

DFS was the louder pickup in this package, but do not snooze on Milton’s sneaky inclusion. His raw numbers may not steal your attention (career 8.5 PPG + 2.2 RPG + 2.5 APG [vs. only 1.0 TOPG] + 45.2% FG + 36.0% 3FG + 82.3% FT in 329 games played), but he definitely has a reputation for solid secondary playmaking (dropped 16 points + dished 12 dimes in his last game as a Net just a few days back!!!) and shooting. Factor in his solid blend of size (6’5”, 205 lbs) + length (7’ wingspan) along with some moderate explosiveness athletically and you have the makings of a defensive menace. Now that he is officially on a team more geared towards contention, the hope is that the 28-year-old will be more incentivized to get after it on that end (the one where titles are won).

These 2x gentlemen stand to make a major impact for their new squad, and their additions should/will escalate Los Angeles a bit up the pecking order of contenders. However, this move alone is not sprouting the Lakers up to the top shelf with teams like the Celtics + Thunder. Rob Pelinka is aware of this. It was a massive step forward in terms of personnel, but it seems but a matter of ‘when’ as opposed to ‘if’ in terms of when the next domino will drop.

This roster clearly still needs a big man, and is there really such a thing as having too many 3&D guys? The guys in the executive offices could go big game hunting (Jimmy Butler, Brandon Ingram, etc), but the trending emphasis on the importance of depth makes a move for additional role players a much likelier scenario. The presently transpiring ascension of Austin Reaves should also make it easier for the front office to de-prioritize picking up a 3rd star (HE is already here).

With all of these things in mind, here are the impending transactions we foresee transpiring + the projected depth chart which would ensue.

TRADE PARTNER #1 = CHARLOTTE HORNETS

OUTGOING | Jalen Hood-Schifino ($3.7 MILLI) + Jaxson Hayes ($2.5 MILLI) + 2029 1st-Round Pick
INCOMING | Nick Richards ($5 MILLI) + 2028 2nd-Round Pick

TRADE PARTNER #2 = ORLANDO MAGIC

OUTGOING | Gabe Vincent ($11 MILLI) + 2029 2nd-Round Pick
INCOMING | Gary Harris ($7.5 MILLI) + Cory Joseph ($3.3 MILL)

NEW STARTERS.. WHO DIS?

~ASSUMING TEAM IS AT FULL HEALTH~

PG | Austin Reaves | 6’5” | 197 lbs

SG | Max Christie | 6’5” | 190 lbs

SF | Dorian Finney-Smith | 6’7” | 220 lbs

PF | LeBron James | 6’9” | 250 lbs

C | Anthony Davis | 6’10” | 253 lbs

NEW BENCH.. WHO DIS?

~ASSUMING TEAM IS AT FULL HEALTH~

PG | Shake Milton | 6’5” | 205 lbs

SG | Dalton Knecht | 6’6” | 215 lbs

SF | Rui Hachimura | 6’8” | 230 lbs

PF | Jarred Vanderbilt | 6’8” | 214 lbs

C | Nick Richards | 7’0” | 245 lbs

NEW RESERVES.. WHO DIS?

~ASSUMING TEAM IS AT FULL HEALTH~

G | Cory Joseph | 6’2” | 200 lbs

G | Bronny James | 6’2” | 210 lbs

G | Gary Harris | 6’4” | 210 lbs

F | Cam Reddish | 6’7” | 217 lbs

C | Christian Wood | 6’9” | 214 lbs

There is a lot to unpack here, but we will keep things short and simple.

Through trade scenario #1 with Charlotte, the Lakers would profoundly address their need for reinforcements down low in the trenches. Richards is exceptional on the glass, with his career 11.4 rebounds-per-36-minutes standing behind that statement in support. Combine that with the physical profile to become a promising rim protector + age (turned 27 last month) to stick around for awhile, and bringing him on board almost seems like a no-brainer. With all due respect to sturdy veteran Jonas Valanciunas (who would also bring a big boost on the boards but is almost 6 years wiser than Richards) and the Wizards, Nick Richards seems like the cleaner fit regardless of which angle you are dissecting the 2x big fellas from.

Through trade scenario #2 with Orlando, the Lakers make a bit less splashy of a swap but sill ultimately walk away winners. Gabe Vincent seems destined for a new home, and thankfully his subtly solid output over the past month (44.4% from deep on a healthy 3.8 dosage per game in December) should make him a lot less difficult to incorporate into trade pitches. Attach some draft compensation to him, and you have yourself a starting package. After filling the need for a big man, finding some shooting support is the next step. You could argue that the team should hang on to Vincent now that he FINALLY seems to be rounding into shape, but why not spice things up a bit with a little 2:1 combo meal?

We have already touched on why Gary Harris makes all the sense in the world for this team, so we will spare you the time on that subject. If you have watched the 11-year vet play, than you have surely seen one of the more prototypical 3&D shooting guards across the last decade. Infusing him AND fellow seasoned vet Cory Joseph (13 seasons), who are both on the outside of the Orlando Magic’s regular rotation looking in, and you are adding 2x steady streams of shooting (career 37.0% + 34.9% distance shooters, respectively) AND dogged perimeter defense. Furthermore, you get a pair of battle-tested soldiers who would seem more than capable of handling the added pressure that comes with playing for the purple and gold.

We have no psychic powers to prove that these dudes will dawn Laker jerseys in the near future, but a bit of simple analysis and market canvassing should sway your level of belief in these fortunes coming to fruition.

Keep working your magic, Robby P!