Can Lakers Win Championship This Year Without Sacrificing The Future?
If the Lakers want to compete for a championship this season without sacrificing their future with Anthony Davis after LeBron James retires, Rob Pelinka will need to transform the team with an extreme makeover.
The reason the Lakers need an extreme makeover is they need more than two or three new players to fix the roster to win now and win next summer. If L.A. wants to hedge their bets, they need to keep one of their two picks.
Finding a way to upgrade the current roster to championship caliber by using just one of their two available first round picks would enable the Lakers to have two tradeable first round picks on Draft Day next summer.
While the Lakers need to trade for players who can help them win now, they also need to shift their focus from older players on expiring contracts and focus instead on younger players on tradeable two or three year deals.
To position themselves for a possible blockbuster trade next summer for the team’s next superstar, the Lakers need to build a solid portfolio of valuable rotation players on tradeable contracts on one or two year deals.
Right now, the Lakers need a starting point guard and small forward who can score and shoot the three. Lonnie Walker IV is the only non-superstar starter who should remain. The Lakers need two new and better starters.
Besides Austin Reaves, the Lakers need an entirely new set of backups. They need a rim protector when AD is not on the floor, an instant offense 6th man to replace Russ, and backups for LeBron and small forward.
Fortunately for Rob, the Lakers have an opportunity with the Pistons and Hornets to trade Westbrook, six other players, one first, and two seconds for six new legitimate rotation players to transform Lakers into contender.
The trade will dramatically improve the starting lineup by adding two 20-points per game scorers who shoot over 40% from deep and revamp the bench by adding four new backups to upgrade size, shooting, and defense.
Let’s look at the proposed trades and why they make sense for the Lakers as well as the Pistons and Hornets. And let’s review what the trade does for the Lakers’ chances to win this season and heading into next season.
The Lakers and Pistons Trade
The Detroit Pistons have been looking to trade Bojan Bogdanovic, Alex Burks, Nerlens Noel, and Saddiq Bey. Bogdanovic would be starting small forward for the Lakers while Burks, Noel, and Bey would come off bench.
The trade saves the Lakers $7.5 million in salary this season, which can be used in the Hornets trade to take back more than they send out while keeping annual salaries neutral so there will be no additional luxury taxes.
Just as importantly, all four of the players being traded for have two or three years left on their contracts, meaning they will not only help the Lakers win this season but will be available as trading chips next summer.
For the rising Lakers, this trade is a huge win that allows them to keep one of their two first round picks. For the tanking Pistons, this trade allows them to grab one of the most valuable draft picks to come onto the market.
The Lakers and Hornets Trade
Charlotte has been looking to trade multiple players including Terry Rozier and P. J. Washington. A poor start to the season, the Miles Bridges setback, and early injuries to LaMelo Ball have derailed the Hornets’ season.
The trade raises Lakers’ annual salaries by $4.3 million but is offset by the $7.5 million saved in the Pistons’ trade, leaving a net savings of $3.2 million for the Lakers, which should save them some luxury taxes next season.
While P.J. Washington is on an expiring contract, the Lakers will receive his Bird rights and will be able to go over the cap to sign him if warranted. Rozier has 3 years left on his contract but could be a key chip next summer.
For the Lakers, the trade finally nets them an elite point guard who can score and shoot the three and a backup four. For the Hornets, they dump the $85 million and 3.5 years left on Terry Rozier’s original 4-year contract.
The Lakers Roster After Trades
The Lakers went into the trades with 14 active players. They sent out 7 players and brought back 6, leaving them with just 13 active players and creating another open roster spot for future trade or buyout market.
The improvement in scoring and 3-point shooting from Rozier and Bogdanovic should dramatically upgrade the Lakers’ starting lineup. Rozier is a career 37.2% shot and Bogdanovic a career 39.4% shot from deep.
In addition to creating space for James and Davis with their 3-point shooting, Rozier and Bogdanovic will take some of the ‘must score’ pressure off LeBron and AD as they both average 20-points per game
The Lakers’ bench will get four new players: Burks will replace Russ as the team’s 6th man, Noel will protect the rim when AD’s out, and Bey and Washington will backup Bogdanovic and James at the three and four.
The Lakers Position Next Summer
Besides transforming their roster into a contender, the Lakers’ goal was to trade for a portfolio of quality rotation players on tradeable contracts who could be filler in a blockbuster two-pick trade for the team’s next superstar.
That is exactly what the Pistons’ and Hornets’ trades did for the Lakers. Besides their 2029 first round draft pick, the Lakers will also be able to trade whatever pick they end up with on draft day in a 2-pick deal.
Because they traded for players not on expiring contracts, the Lakers will be far better positioned this summer to pull of a blockbuster trade with two tradeable first round picks and six tradeable contracts worth $67,931,804.
Besides extremely making over their roster to compete for a title, the Lakers also smartly positioned themselves to have a portfolio of first round picks and tradeable contracts to make a blockbuster trade next summer.
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