The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves searching for a new president of basketball operations and new head coach. Magic Johnson jumped ship unexpectedly after waking one day and jokingly saying, "I'm not going to be here" and wanting the "freedom" to help all NBA players rather than just the Lakers' roster.
Sticking with Johnson's desires, the Lakers roster needs help. The team consists of aging superstar LeBron James, an injury-prone Lonzo Ball, and Brandon Ingram, the inconsistent Kyle Kuzma and a variety of bench players.
What if by trading LeBron James the Lakers roster could be remade and open up a variety of doors leading to the next Laker dynasty?
Before breaking down the trades, let's set the parameters of the moves.
Parameters:
1. LeBron James can be traded. His contract does not contain a No-trade clause-only a 15% trade kicker.
2. James also has a player option for the 2021 season meaning any trade could be for a rental.
3. All contracts would have to match up and all moves will need to make sense for all franchises involved.
The initial trade is the hardest and most unlikely to occur. It takes some imagination but does actually make sense for both teams involved.
The Pelicans and Lakers have been linked all season when it comes to trade talks. The Anthony Davis saga was a lose-lose for both clubs as the Lakers' team chemistry fell off a cliff following leaked trade offered involving the majority of the young the core.
The Pelicans eventually fired Dell Demps for ineptitude during the trade talks.
It was nothing short of disastrous but here's where both teams can right their wrongs and start over again.
The Trade:
Lakers receive: Anthony Davis and Solomon Hill
Pelicans receive: LeBron James and 2019 1st round draft pick and 2021 1st round draft pick
Before you send an angry mob after me, hear me out.
The Lakers saw how much of a circus LeBron James and his camp can be. From leaking trade rumors, overstepping front office employees, not sitting with the team, using 'load management' as an excuse to record with 2 Chainz and an overall lack of leadership, the Lakers would be smart to move on.
The move would bring in Anthony Davis, a player they have wanted all along, and give Los Angeles a young star to rally around. Solomon Hill would be an eventual cap casualty as he is owed to much money for his production.
New Orleans would get a star. For once in the franchise's history, they would have the greatest player of a generation on the court. Being honest, LeBron would use his opt-out following the 2020 season, but the move is not about LeBron. In fact, New Orleans could trade LeBron and nothing would be lost. The trade is about the first-round pick accompanied with LeBron.
New Orleans wants to rebuild, and if the front office does not get a major deal for Davis, it would be hard to say no for a free first-round draft somewhere near the lottery. Even if LeBron declined to play for the Pelicans following the trade, New Orleans could flip him to another team like the Knicks for young talent or more first-round picks furthering the rebuild.
Now that we made it through the hardest part, the Lakers roster still needs a makeover. The next move is the easiest of the offseason.
The Lakers should sign DeMarcus Cousins to pair next to Anthony Davis. Haven't we already seen this before?
Yes, and New Orleans looked like a potential powerhouse in the paint with Cousins and Davis back in 2018. A sixth seed in the Western Conference when the two were paired, the Lakers would have the 21st-century version of the 'Twin Towers' in Los Angeles.
While on the court talent and chemistry is unquestionable, the beauty of DeMarcus Cousins lies in his contract. Cousins will not receive a max contract due to his injury history and recent quad tear meaning Los Angeles can add Cousins and still add one or two more superstars.
Landing around a four year, $54 million contract would net the Lakers the financial freedom to make the most underrated move of the offseason.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a free agent, leaving a hole at shooting guard and behind the three-point line. To replace him, the Lakers should look to Bradley Beal to improve the leagues 29th ranked three-point percentage.
Another trade that may seem hard to complete but just like Anthony Davis, Beal has been on Los Angeles' list for over a year. The Lakers even reached out to Washington this year to see where they stood on Beal's future.
Acquiring Beal would mean departing with key young prospects Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart. A future-round pick could also be added in the deal as the Wizards might want further compensation.
Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and Bradley Beal are now our remaining core with Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma filling in the remainder of the starting five. To some, that would be good enough but this is the Lakers.
Remember when the other player acquired in the LeBron James and Anthony Davis swap? Now is when the Lakers would have to reach a buyout with Solomon Hill. For the sake of discussion, let us say Los Angeles and Hill agree to a deal half of what he currently makes. Freeing up six million dollars, the Lakers can now add bench depth and look for one more star.
Assuming Los Angeles signed the majority of the bench to veteran minimum contracts, the team would be sitting around $90 million towards the cap. If so, the Lakers could essentially have $20 million in cap space.
Choose your next star: Kevin Durant? Klay Thompson? Kawhi Leonard? Jimmy Butler? Tobias Harris? Kris Middleton?
Taking into consideration Durant and Leonard are eyeing the Knicks and Clippers as their next destination and Thompson has stated "he wants to remain a Warrior," Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris are the Lakers most realist option to fill their final roster spot.
Both are interchangeable but Butler has the edge on defense, an aspect of the game Los Angeles struggled in throughout the 2018 season.
Butler is Los Angeles' guy. He brings a need tenacity on defense and won't be afraid to keep young players and even other stars accountable. Instead of the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles, the Lakers will have a define grittiness sort of like the Clippers this season but superior.
Now sitting directly at the cap, the Lakers turned LeBron James, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and a few first-round picks into Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Bradley Beal, and Jimmy Butler.
A roster that now is full of superstars and none being ball dominant will allow Lonzo Ball to play a to his strengths-facilitating and playing defense. In regards to Kuzma, he will slide into the sixth-man role leading the second group giving him more time to grow and fill a need of depth.
Instead of no shooters and LeBron, Los Angeles now has two dominant post players, two legit shooting threats and a facilitating point guard ready to go up against anything the NBA has to offer.
The Lakers struggled with the three-point ball, their new starting five shoots a career 33.7 percent from behind the arc. Not great but already a slight improvement. Retaining player such as Reggie Bullock and adding veteran pure shooters will only help the Lakers on the outside leading to more scoring on the inside creating a high powered offense.
On defense, nobody will be able to enter the paint against Davis and Cousins. Due to their size and mobility, Butler, Beal, and Ball can lock down the perimeter.
The Lakers need a reset, and it all starts with trading LeBron James.
*preview photo credited to NY Post
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