The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be one of the more active teams at the trade deadline this season. They have started the new year off well and will be looking to add more talent to the equation.
Los Angeles has a few pieces that may interest opposing teams but they will need to be creative to get a deal done.
Ishaan Bhattacharya of Fadeaway World put together a new trade proposal that helps the Lakers address multiple needs in one deal. The deal has them trading with the Washington Wizards.
In the deal, Los Angeles would receive guard Malcolm Brogdon and center Jonas Valanciunas. The Lakers would be sending out guard D’Angelo Russell, guard Gabe Vincent, center Christian Wood, a 2025 second-round draft pick, a 2025 second-round draft pick, and a 2030 second-round draft pick.
“This deal allows the Lakers to reinforce their rotation with high-quality veterans who will be willing to accept their roles to try and help the franchise into a contending situation. Both teams won’t have complaints about the salary aspect either, as these are all affordable contracts being moved around.”
The Lakers have been linked heavily to Valanciunas since the summer and they finally land him in this deal. Valanciunas could provide Los Angeles with another big body in the frontcourt to help out Anthony Davis.
While Valanciunas isn’t known for his defense, his offensive game could help the Lakers. They could have him either play next to Davis for a twin-tower approach or have him back up the star off the bench.
Either way, landing Valanciunas certainly would help the Lakers’ overall depth. Valanciunas is someone who could fit in well with the team and he is on a very team-friendly contract as well.
As for Brogdon, he could be the missing piece to the entire puzzle. Brogdon is a strong defender who can knock down the 3-pointer very well.
The veteran has been linked to the Lakers for years so landing him now could massively help the team. Brogdon could fill the role that Los Angeles thought Vincent would play and it would help them on both ends of the floor.
This type of deal could change the course of the Lakers’ season for the better. It will be up to general manager Rob Pelinka to execute a trade to give this team more firepower before the postseason.
