'No Player Is Untouchable': 5 Trades Los Angeles Lakers Must Consider
The Los Angeles Lakers' most recent playoff trip came back in 2013, when Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash were all on the roster.
This franchise is so starved for stardom, it won't let anything stand in the way of that pursuit. If this big-game hunt requires the sacrifice of young talent, the front office is reportedly ready to bite that bullet.
Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times explains:
"While they like their young core and would prefer to keep those players growing together, they have told teams no player is untouchable in trades, according to multiple sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of trade and free-agent negotiations.
"To be clear, the Lakers are not actively shopping any of their players. They are willing to listen to offers and could move one of them — even a member of the talented young cadre of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram or Josh Hart — if an offer blows them away."
How rich would the prize packages need to be for the Lakers to part with a top prospect?
Well, it's funny you should ask. The following five potential swaps all offer the kind of reward to make them well worth the risk.
Buying Low on a Big Man
1 of 5
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Hassan Whiteside
Miami Heat receive: Josh Hart, Luol Deng, Tyler Ennis, Ivica Zubac, No. 25 pick
While the summer of 2016 was full of regrets, this swap features two of the biggest.
The Lakers seemingly felt buyer's remorse as soon as the ink dried on Deng's four-year, $72 million deal. The Heat held out hope for Whiteside's four-year, $98 million pact longer, but that mostly crumbled this season as his minutes were sliced and his frustrations made public.
L.A. has literally laughed off the notion of being able to move Deng now. While there's support within Miami to move Whiteside, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, there's also a realization that any deal might bring back "clearly less value."
To some extent, then, this trade is simply swapping problematic pacts. But there might be enough reason for optimism that each side considers it.
Assuming Whiteside picks up his 2019-20 player option, he'll cost about $15.7 million more than Deng the next two seasons. But if L.A. sees Deng's salary as a sunk cost—he played 13 minutes this season—than the extra money works out as something similar to the mid-level exception for a springy 7-footer in Whiteside, who was the best rebounder in 2016-17 and the top shot-blocker the year before.
The Lakers don't have their center of the present, let alone future. The 28-year-old Whiteside could be both, especially if a pass-first point guard like Lonzo Ball brings the best out of him.
Miami's financial commitments drop, both by moving from Whiteside's salary to Deng's and receiving the non-guaranteed deals of Zubac and Ennis. The bigger prizes, though, are adding a young, two-way talent in Hart and getting Miami back into the first round of what should be a loaded draft. The Heat need more rookie-scale contracts on the books, and this would net a pair.
And who knows, maybe Miami can resuscitate Deng. The only reason he was able to cash in with the Lakers is because he had thrived with Erik Spoelstra and the Heat (13.1 points on 46.2 percent shooting over two seasons).
Snagging a Star Guard
2 of 5
Los Angeles Lakers receive: CJ McCollum
Portland Trail Blazers receive: Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, Luol Deng, No. 25 pick
Portland has one of the NBA's bleakest financial pictures and just two series wins to show for its five straight trips to the playoffs. Their most recent venture lasted just long enough for a lower-seeded squad to sweep them.
So, these look like desperate times. And you know what that means as far as debating desperate measures.
Rival executives have long expected the Blazers to consider breaking up their explosive-on-offense, debilitating-on-defense backcourt. That's what Sean Deveney of Sporting News was hearing back in February and what The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor relayed after the season.
McCollum has his faults (mostly on defense), but he's also on a three-year run of 21.7 points per game on 45.7/41.2/86.2 shooting. He should be entrenched in his prime at 26 years old, but he's also paid accordingly for his production and pedigree ($82.6 million for the next three seasons).
Does he have enough star qualities for L.A. to take on his contract and part with two prospects plus a pick? He'd be an intriguing addition to the Lakers' 22nd-ranked offense as someone who can play off the ball (career 40.8 percent outside) but also create enough shots to ease the burden shouldered by Ball and Brandon Ingram.
Would the Blazers accept this return? They'd need to reach a couple different conclusions first.
For starters, that the Damian Lillard-McCollum tandem is too flawed to win at a high level. As talented as the twosome is, it needs help, and Portland doesn't have the funds to go find it.
Also, there won't be any usable money for the next two seasons. With at least $110.4 million on next year's books and $103.8 million for the following campaign, the Blazers may already have accepted this. In that case, they might appreciate the fact Deng's deal expires a year before McCollum's.
Finally, Portland must either see potential stardom in Kuzma, Hart or the upcoming draft pick or feel the sum of this trio is greater than McCollum's individual talent. Kuzma could address a need for a multi-talented forward, Hart would bring welcome length and a defensive mentality to the backcourt and the 25th selection could expand this rotation.
Three-Teamer Brings DeRozan Home
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Los Angeles Lakers receive: DeMar DeRozan
Toronto Raptors receive: Courtney Lee, Josh Hart, Luol Deng, No. 9 pick (from NYK), No. 25 pick (from LAL)
New York Knicks receive: Lonzo Ball
The Raptors are tired of a specific kind of losing—against LeBron James in the playoffs. It's a common condition for Eastern Conference clubs based outside of Cleveland, but it's powerful enough to tear potential powers apart. Just ask Derrick Rose's Chicago Bulls or Paul George's Indiana Pacers.
Toronto has already started chipping away at its infrastructure with the dismissal of Dwane Casey, and it hasn't ruled out a total demolition. Multiple league sources told Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun that the Raptors will "explore all options," including dealing DeRozan, an All-NBA second-teamer and Compton, California, native.
DeRozan is the offensive focal point the Lakers haven't had since Father Time sapped Kobe Bryant's abilities. Even without a reliable three ball, DeRozan has emerged as one of the game's greatest offensive weapons. He's one of four players to average at least 22.0 points on 44.0 percent shooting and 3.5 assists each of the last three seasons; the other three are LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.
"[DeRozan is] one of the best scorers in the league," Lakers coach Luke Walton told reporters in 2016.
DeRozan grew up a Lakers fan and counts Kobe as his hoops idol. He told The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears it was hard not heading home as a free agent in 2016. This could be the time L.A. successfully pries DeRozan out of Toronto.
Toronto doesn't bring back anything resembling a star, but that shouldn't be the focus if this franchise is resetting. There are a lot of roster-building assets here, including two first-rounders in a deep draft and a 23-year-old who made 23 starts as a rookie. Deng's deal isn't too burdensome if Toronto is looking to backtrack anyway, and Lee could be a helpful trade chip as a two-way wing with a 38.9 career three-point percentage.
Despite taking Frank Ntilikina eighth last summer, the Knicks have said they'd consider adding a point guard if his upside is higher than the small forwards remaining in the draft when they pick, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. Ball presumably fits that bill after becoming only the fifth NBA freshman to average 10 points, six assists and six rebounds. And there should be enough size and shooting to play Ball and Ntilikina together.
Chasing the Big KAT
4 of 5
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, No. 25 pick
The smart move for the Timberwolves is to keep Towns as far from any trade rumors as possible. The smart move for the other 29 teams in the league is to see whether there's anything to ESPN.com's Zach Lowe reporting Minnesota and its All-Star center are "not in a good place internally."
That doesn't mean the Timberwolves are anywhere close to trading Towns. But that shouldn't prevent potential poachers from placing a call. The Los Angeles Clippers tried targeting Towns back in January, per The Athletic's Michael Scotto, way before we heard any whispers of possible discontent.
Towns would warrant an all-in push from the Lakers.
He won't turn 23 until November, and he has already appeared in an All-Star Game and made an All-NBA roster. He's had two seasons with at least 21 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and a block. Only seven players have had more, and they're all either in the Hall of Fame or headed there shortly.
He's about as attractive as trade targets can get, which probably means he's unavailable.
"There's no such thing as untouchable in the NBA, but Towns probably won't be traded this summer—nor should he be," O'Connor wrote. "There isn't any realistic deal out there that makes the Wolves better now or in the future."
That might well be the case, but what's the harm in L.A. forcing Minnesota to make that decision? It's not like this is an insulting offer.
Ingram is 20 years old and overloaded with two-way potential. He was a 39.0 percent three-point shooter and averaged 17.6 points, 5.3 assists and 5.4 rebounds over his final 16 outings. Kuzma just jumped from the 27th pick to the All-Rookie first team. He's the only freshman ever to tally at least 1,200 points, 400 rebounds and 150 triples.
Minnesota also already owns the 20th pick, so perhaps adding a second first-rounder could allow it to jump into the lottery. As deep as this draft is with bigs, the Wolves might find a prospect capable of filling major minutes at center already next season.
Landing Leonard
5 of 5
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Kawhi Leonard
San Antonio Spurs receive: Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, No. 25 pick
The Spurs aren't talking Leonard trades with other teams yet, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t Rob Lopez of Def Pen Sports). But given all we've heard about the tension between the franchise and its centerpiece, maybe they'll find their differences can't be resolved?
If nothing else, there might be reasons for San Antonio to fret over offering him a five-year, $219 million supermax and for Leonard to consider passing it up. It will take time before anyone knows whether there's any fire here, but the mere suggestion of smoke should be enough for the Lakers to place a bid.
Leonard, an L.A. native, is firmly on the Lakers' radar. There is some question, however, about when they'll make their move. Sources told Deveney that L.A. will give chase already this summer. Bleacher Report's Ken Berger has heard the Lakers could wait to try to sign Leonard in 2019.
"That's why [the Lakers] are spinning it into 'wait till next year,'" an executive told Berger. "They know they can get Kawhi."
There are dangers with waiting, though.
Maybe Leonard finds common ground with the Spurs. Perhaps a different team swoops in with a trade and strikes the right rapport. L.A. waited for Paul George to reach free agency, and it seems far from certain he'll head to Hollywood this summer.
Getting Leonard now would be expensive but also the type of transaction that finally fast-tracks this team to relevance. He's been both the Association's top defender and a 25-points-per-game scorer. He's 26 years old. He might not have peaked yet, even as a former Finals MVP and two-time Defensive Player of the Year. And he might substantially increase the Lakers' recruitment efforts with other top targets.
If San Antonio ships out Leonard, it should commit to an overhaul. Slotting Ingram, Kuzma and Hart alongside Dejounte Murray would give the Spurs a young, long, athletic and versatile foundation. This would also be San Antonio's second first-round pick, so it could potentially pick up two more rotation players or climb the draft board for a top-shelf prospect.
Head coach Gregg Popovich's developmental machine has made it work with less before. The Spurs wouldn't necessarily be down for long, and depending on how they handle the rest of their roster, they might step forward from this season, which was essentially spent without Leonard.
Unless otherwise indicated, all stats are from Basketball Reference or NBA.com. Salary information obtained via Basketball Insiders.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @ZachBuckleyNBA.
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