The Lakers have been “taking and making calls” in recent weeks about the possibility of trading their No. 2 overall pick, a source tells Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. According to Ganguli, in addition to having trade scenarios presented to them, the Lakers have offered their own.
With Markelle Fultz expected to come off the board first, the Lakers would likely have their choice of players like Lonzo Ball, De’Aaron Fox, and Josh Jackson at No. 2. The club has shown real interest in all three of those players, bringing them to Los Angeles for workouts and meeting them elsewhere.
[RELATED: Lonzo Ball to meet with Lakers again on Friday]
If the Lakers decide they’d be happy with any of those players – or another top prospect – it would make sense for the team to attempt to move down a little in the draft order and pick up some extra assets in the process. There have been rumblings that the Kings (No. 5) might like to move up to land one of the top point guards in the draft, and at least one report has suggested the Suns (No. 4) are hoping Ball falls to them.
As for what sort of asset the Lakers might be able to acquire if they agree to move down, there are a number of possibilities. While picking up an extra draft pick or a player would be the most logical move, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the club tries to attach a player with an expensive contract – such as Luol Deng or Timofey Mozgov – to their No. 2 pick in any deal.
Getting rid of Deng or Mozgov w the pick for Sacramento no.1 would be worthy to free up roster and cap space.
Lot of work to be done to make the Lakers a premier franchise again. These are the type moves necessary for that to happen
Why would Sacramento do that? No one wants either of those overpaid players.
To make sure they get the player they want for their future. Why would Sacramento care about taking on a contract anyway? Not like they’re going to sign anyone big anyways. Plus, Deng and Moz aren’t bad. Could both help a very young squad.
Must not seen how sac runs there team the few years?
Sac’s #5 for the Lakers #2 and either Deng or Mozgov would be a far less ridiculous trade for Sac than their #5 and #10 for the #2.
Makes no sense for the lakers to do that.
Why are the Lakers sooo desperate to unload mozgov or Luol Deng when they just signed those two guys last summer?
That does not make one bit of sense. Why sign those two to the contract…. nobody put a gun to your head and now you can’t wait to unload them?
Absolutely insane.
Well, it’s an entirely different front office this year. Definitely no guarantee that Pelinka/Magic would’ve made those signings, or that they want those guys on the roster for the next three years.
Yup, you’re right. What a big mess for the new Lakers management to fix.
You see other teams do it too, who have not changed management.
I think that’s why they created the stretch provision, and also why 3 years ago they allowed each team to dump one bad contract they agreed to. There were so many !!
“no guarantee that Pelinka/Magic would’ve made those signings”
It’s pretty much 100% certain they would not have done that.
Dude new front office? Seems something logical the regimine would do in order to get better. So to answer your question so you understand. They suck and want to get better. Getting rid of those two guys help them get better.
you know nothing if you have to ask that question
Nice.
But ownership, which must sign off on those contracts, remained the same ?
So instead of management, plug-in “owners” are insane for signing those two big deals and then the very next year have to include assets to get rid of those two big Deals they approved.
I think a team like Charlotte could do a deal like this. Send Batum and Lamb and the 11th overall and a second to LA for Deng or Mozgov and the 2nd overall
You do realize they can’t make that trade the money doesn’t work
Why not doesn’t LA have cap space?
Lakers would have to add Clarkson for the salaries to work.
I don’t think this would happen for more than several reasons, but in your scenario…Batum, Lamb, Garrett temple, 10th and 11th picks to the Lakers
Deng, Clarkson, Nick young, and the 5th pick to Charlotte
Marco Belinelli, Tyler Ennis, 2nd pick and Hornets 2nd Round pick to Sacramento
Kings take Josh Jackson/Fox/Ball/or Tatum at 2
Hornets take Isaac
Lakers take Donovan Mitchell and Justin Jackson at 10 and 11, and still have the 28th pick as well
Young is a about to be when he doesn’t exercise his option. Ennis isn’t under contract for next year at all. You can’t trade a free agent. So the trade doesn’t work, both player-wise or under the cap.
Also, I think Sac would be insane to trade the 5 and the 10 for the 2. I don’t see Charlotte taking on Deng to move from 10 to 5, but maybe.
I also don’t see how this helps the Lakers. Batum isn’t good enough to make the Lakers much better and is a bigger cap suck than Deng.
This is a GREAT trade for Charlotte, though. They get out from under Batum’s terrible contract. They have to take back Deng, but at least he has one fewer year. Plus they get to move up from 11 to 5 and get Clarkson. They’d make this trade in a second. Sac and LAL, not so much.
Y’all are my kind of people. Thanks for seeing my logic
Ya as I said…there are several reasons why it’s not happening. I didn’t realize those guys were FAs either lol. But I also think Sacramento would be the least likely to make the move. Batums FG% might go back up with spacing around him, and I think he would fit their system as a multipositional wing. Also, he can play the 3, and Deng can’t anymore, and they could use his defense at that wing position.
….wait, wouldnt their cap holds still be tradable?
Batum and Lamb would be able 25-29 million and the 11th would be about 3 I think. Deng or Mozgov are around 13-19 and the second is like 6 million
Forgot Batum was maxed.
I think the suns would make a lot of sense here. If they swapped places the layers would only have to drop 2 spots so they would still be getting a very good player from the draft plus whatever they can get out of phx. The rumors coming out of Arizona is they want Lonzo ball really badly so why don’t the lakers call up the suns and say we’re going to take Lonzo with the second pick unless you make it worth our while to give you the second pick. Obviously players like Booker and Chriss are going to be off the table but maybe the lakers could get on of the suns younger players or the suns have multiple Miami first round picks with only one year of preordering combined between the two picks coming. I think the suns have the assets that could make this happened if both teams are willing to do the deal.
Lakers #2 for PHX #4 and future first rounders?
Lakers #2 + Deng for PHX #4 and Bledsoe?
The challenge with PHX is there aren’t a lot of good trade fits unless PHX is willing to give up a bunch of draft picks to get Ball (a la the Warriors trading the Penny pick and future picks for Webber… or trading the Carter pick and future picks for Jamison).
2nd pick, Luol Deng, Larry Nance, Tyler Ennis, and Mozgov to Phoenix for 4, TJ Warren, Tyson Chandler, Leabdro Barbosa, and Brandon Knight.
Suns take Jackson, Lakers take Fox
That’s terrible lol…ummm….maybe 2 and Nance for 4 and warren? I don’t really see that either….
Ennis is a free agent. The Suns take Ball in these scenarios. Suns trade Bledsoe, not Knight, if this trade is possible at all. Lakers then need to find a taker for Bledsoe. It does work under the cap, though.
But Phoenix never makes this trade. Mozgov is literally worthless. Deng has value but makes too much money. They’re not taking two awful contacts to get Ball. They just aren’t.
I don’t love this deal for the Lakers either. They end up losing their PF of the future (Nance, who, unlike Randle, actually plays on both sides of the ball). They best player they get in this trade is a SF (Warren), which is a problem for the Lakers who have Ingram. It just doesn’t make a ton of sense for them to trade Nance for Warren when they have Ingram. The only thing that makes this trade at all reasonable for the Lakers is that the Sixers probably wouldn’t take Ball, so the Lakers can still get him at #4 maybe.
I don’t see how people see Bledsoes deal as a bad contract….
Again, I didn’t like the structure, but I’ll explain the thinking. Suns move up to 2 for Jackson. Lakers have some leverage there b/c they can take anyone in that spot, and Phoenix might not get any of the guys they like b/c of philly at 3. TJ Warren is a no defense 4 that can play the 3 offensively in some bigger lineups. The Lakers have several guys there, as does Phoenix. Phoenix desperately needs help defensively, and they’ll use Deng correctly at the 4 off the bench. They do still have to pay him though, so the Lakers have to take Knight, who will be used off the bench. Tyson Chandler was terrible for Phoenix, but Magic likes him, and wants to get rid of Mozgov. Phoenix could use a big. They’ll take Mozgov, but the Lakers need to take Chandler and Barbosa. Finally, if Phoenix is going to give up the 4, a young scoring tween forward like Warren, and take on Deng and Mozgov, they would like some insurance on that, and Nance makes sense b/c the Lakers already have several guys at that position, including Ingram and Randle, and now Warren. Also, Knight could play himself back into a tradable asset himself, or make somone like Clarkson more replacable. And, the deals going back to the Lakers are shorter….and then the Lakers would still get Fox at 4
Fox, Russell, Ingram, Randle, Zubac
Clarkson, Warren, Knight, Brewer, Chandler, Barbosa, 28th pick, etc
Bledsoe, Booker, Jackson, Chriss, Mozgov
Tyler Ulis, Luol Deng, Jared Dudley, Allen Williams, Dragan Bender, Nance, etc…
It’s all moot though. Also, nobody has been talking about it as we’ve had all these discussions all over the league about the draft over the last few weeks, but there are legit rotation players late in the 1st round and into the 2nd round. So when the draft comes by, I think we might have overlooked scenarios of fit possibly being accounted for then. Like Monk and Philly. They could easily take Frank Mason in the 2nd round lol
I like this idea a lot, but the Lakers should grab Lonzo Ball instead of Fox. Makes too much sense to bring him in, he can bring out the best in the guys that they have/will get. Ingram will be a better player, and the Lakers can get guys that can compete with the likes of the Warriors. Trade Russell as well.
Ball has a game-changing talent – his court vision and length- that can lead the Lakers to compete with the elite of the league.
Just more smoke
If they traded back to 5 and 10. Ball could still be there anyway. I’d try to pawn off a contract though.
LA should use No. 2 pick in a trade as leverage for L. Ball… trade back in the draft and get another prospect in the top 10…
LA should use No. 2 pick in a trade as leverage for L. Ball… maybeeeee, #2 and Mozgov to Phoenix for #4 and Chandler?
Chandler would be an upgrade in LA. And they can use #4 to select Josh Jackson or De’Aaron Fox.