Adding a third star this summer won’t be easy for the Lakers, even if there are a few on the market, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. L.A.’s season was derailed by injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, showing the need for another elite player, but the team may not have enough valuable assets to offer.
The Lakers own the 22nd pick in this year’s draft, but don’t have another tradable first-rounder until 2027. They’ve still got their selections in 2023 and 2025, but are limited by the league rule preventing future first-round picks from being traded in back-to-back years.
Goon cites the Trail Blazers‘ Damian Lillard and the Sixers‘ Ben Simmons as players who might be available, but he isn’t convinced that the Lakers can match salaries with a competitive offer, which would mean sending $31.4MM to Portland or $24.5MM to Philadelphia. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma will each make $13MM next season, but a package with them and the two draft picks may not be the best deal the Sixers can get. The Lakers could have another trade chip if Montrezl Harrell opts in at $9.7MM, but that still may not be enough for Philadelphia.
Getting the Blazers to trade Lillard for a similar package seems nearly impossible, and Goon sees L.A.’s best chance as a sign-and-trade involving Dennis Schröder. However, Schröder has expressed a desire to re-sign with the Lakers and there’s no guarantee that Portland would want him in return for Lillard.
There’s more from L.A.:
- Schröder is expecting to get offers in the range of $100MM to $120MM in free agency, VP of the German Basketball Federation Armin Andres said, according to TalkBasket. Andres confirms that Schröder isn’t playing for Germany this summer because the cost of insuring his future earnings is too high.
- The Lakers and Clippers will be the most interested teams in acquiring Kemba Walker from the Thunder, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his latest podcast (hat tip to Justin Leger of Yahoo Sports). Walker, who was traded from the Celtics last month, was plagued by knee problems all season and still has two years and nearly $74MM left on his contract.
- The NBA’s board of governors gave unanimous approval to the sale of 27% of the Lakers to Todd Boehly and Mark Walter, according to Scott Soshnick of Sportico. The deal is expected to be finalized next week.
Lakers fans call Kuzma a bum all year but now expect to get Lillard in return for him. Lol
I’ve never seen or heard one Lakers fan expect to get Lillard for Kuzma.
there is many that pretend Kuzma would be the headline in the package. Only way is if the Lakers put AD in a package for Lillard its not happening.
He didn’t say anything about a package.
Does he need to? I seen Kuzma nd Pope mentioned with a 2nd rounder. Now that is funny since Portland could go to any NBA club and find a better deal.
That pretty much is the only package the Lakers could give anyone, and it barely gets a rotation piece back lol
AD is sooo many light years better than Dame that is even hard to think what POR would have to add to get him, silly even to think that Dame is close to AD’s value, right?
Only in your imaginary world that Davis is better than Lillard because Davis can not stay on the court. Davis & Lillard came into the League the same year & it was Lillard who won Rookie of the Year & Lillard has played over a 100 games more than Davis & has accomplished more
Keep on dreamin’ dude!
If you really think Dame is better… well, I can’t help you, right?
Have a nice day!
Davis is on a winning franchise already with a chip,Dame don’t have to go to the Lakers but he’s gotta get out of raggedy Portland they will never win a chip he’s a wasted talent
Lakers have 2 Firsts available to trade
2021
2027
Harrell, Kuzma and KCP for Ben Simmons
I think it’s enough value, via third team
Which wouldn’t move the needle at all. Why would Portland want midrange draft picks when they could get better players and better draft picks?
What does Portland care about what Philly is getting in a trade with the Lakers
It’s up to Dame not Portland he has all the power he just has to tell the whole league he wants to go to the Lakers other teams have to take a risk when they trade for him or gut the Lakers like New Orleans did on Anthony Davis it’s a star’s League better have them to win a chip something the whole league doesn’t understand yet
The sixers are going to have plenty of offers better than that. That’s a lot of mediocre players and late draft picks. They aren’t going to trade him if that’s the best offer.
I can’t stand Andrew Wiggins the player and I’d rather have Wiggins for Simmons than that garbage Lakers package. Gtfo
THT and Caruso
I disagree morey is a star chaser, and just turned down brogdon and presumably the 13th pick, a deal with tons more value
Nope… never… keep living in La La Land
Face it the likeliness of Lillard being trade is a 1 in 100 shot. Unless a team gives Portland a package that is extremely one sided he will not be traded. lakers would need to include AD in a deal to get Lillard. That is the ONLY way possible for them to make a deal plus other assets.
If Lillard were to get traded (would only happen if he demanded it) the only place he’d go that would both be somewhere he would want to and a team that could actually offer something to Portland would be Golden State. If Portland trades away there franchise player it would be for pieces to rebuild or retool. GS could offer Wiggens, Wiseman, and their 2 lottery picks this year (probably would require future picks as well). Salary would match, get at least 3 young pieces back, and Wiggens is at least a decent\good player on a shorter deal that would give them salary relief sooner. Lakers can’t offer any of that.
Disagree entirely, Lillard hates Curry and will never play with him. The Knicks are the team to watch here, they have just enough assets to make it happen.
Lillard would love to play in GSW but Portland would not want to make GSW the team to beat in the west after that trade. Knicks would have a hard time matching payroll in the trade.
You don’t know that you are just making it up.
Nope. Not even close enough. Not even in the stratosphere. GS has one of the weakest packages to offer.
Portland would definitely ask for Poole in a trade package. Why worry it is not happening at all. Lillard will not be moved.
How does GS have one of the weakest packages to offer? They have good draft picks (2 lottery picks this year in a deep draft) and can match salary with usable pieces. Almost every other team in the NBA doesn’t have that. OKC has the picks but not sure they have any usable pieces to match salary. I don’t think there is anyway Lillard goes anywhere, at least not this year, but who could offer a better package than GS that would actually trade for Lillard?
Hahaha
The best possible move for the Lakers is to trade Lebron and use that money on 3-4 decent rotation regulars.
Schroeder at 100 mill? Yeah that’s a hard pass from me.
If Portland trades Dame the fan base will turn on management and it will get ugly. Portland will do everything except trade Dame this year. He has no leverage unless he completely goes against the very brand he has build his career on.
Why did Lakers want Kenba Walker?
Both Davis and Walker are injury prone
……Because has nothing valuable？
Because Kemba has low trade value. They don’t have the pieces or cap to get higher value guys.
Schroeder and KCP for Walker
Fair trade?
Schroeder, Kuzma and 2 firsts for Simmons
I wouldn’t even trade Kuzma for Simmons straight up. On defense it is almost a push and Kuzma is a way better shooter, something the Lakers need bad.
on defense its almost a push? really?
Philli just turned down Brogdan and a better 1st than Lakers picks for Simmons. No way they take Kuz and Schroeder when Schroeder is asking for $100-120m contract and the second pick Lakers could offer is when Embiid is 33.
Ben can’t shoot, Ben has to be close to a salary dump or you don’t trade too much salaries only to a team that’s got some cap space like New York I would never give $40 million in players and pics
how is Walker injury prone? He was injured this year but has been extremely healthy prior to this season
So, the Lakers need a 3rd star? This implies DS is not a star. 25-30 mm per year ain’t max, but it’s still star money.
Kyle Goon is a moron if he thinks there is any possibility that the Blazers would trade Dame Lillard to the Lakers. The Lakers would have a better chance of sinking to the bottom than to obtain the services of Dame Lillard
Lots of lakers haters here
Why are there Laker packages that don’t include THT or Caruso?
Why are there Pacers packages that don’t include Aaron Holiday and Levert?
Why are there Wolves packages that don’t include McDaniels and Vanderbilt?
Its like every fan thinks Danny Ainge is their favorite teams GM and other teams are going to fall for trades where the team getting a star keeps all their positive value young players.
Teams want guys back that are paid less than their value.
Ben can’t shoot, Ben has to be close to a salary dump or you don’t trade too much salaries only to a team that’s got some cap space like New York I would never give $40 million in players and pics