The Lakers and Nuggets have agreed to a trade that will send center Thomas Bryant to Denver in exchange for swingman Davon Reed and three second-round picks, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the second-round picks are Denver’s own in 2025, 2026, and 2029. The Nuggets have now traded away all their second-rounders between 2025 and 2029.
Bryant, who signed a minimum-salary contract with the Lakers in the offseason, has filled in admirably as the Lakers’ starting center during Anthony Davis‘ injury absences this season, but has only played a modest backup role when Davis is healthy.
In 41 games (25 starts), Bryant has averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per contest. His .654% FG% is a career high, as is his .440 3PT% (albeit on limited volume).
Still, as long as Davis stays healthy, Bryant’s value to the Lakers wasn’t substantial, especially with newly acquired forward Jarred Vanderbilt expected to spend some time playing as a small-ball five. Los Angeles also has veteran big man Wenyen Gabriel for depth purposes up front and would have been limited in its ability to give Bryant a raise as a free agent this summer since the team only controlled his Non-Bird rights.
On top of all that, Bryant hadn’t been thrilled with his reduced role following Davis’ return, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, who tweets that he asked the Lakers to look for a better situation for him.
It’s unclear if Reed will be in the Lakers’ plans going forward. He’s on a minimum-salary contract with a non-guaranteed salary in 2023/24 and hasn’t played much in Denver this season, averaging 2.3 PPG and 1.6 RPG on .313/.364/.750 shooting in 35 appearances (9.0 MPG). The second-round picks are the primary return for L.A. in the deal, essentially replacing the three second-rounders the club gave up for Rui Hachimura last month.
As for the Nuggets, they’ve been in the market for a reliable backup center behind two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, since offseason signee DeAndre Jordan hasn’t been a regular part of the rotation. Bryant should fill that role nicely, giving the team some extra frontcourt depth as it focuses on making a deep playoff run this spring.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, both teams will create small trade exceptions equivalent to the salaries of their outgoing players ($1.9MM for Denver; $1.84MM for L.A.). Neither the Nuggets nor the Lakers have to worry about salary-matching in the deal, since both players can be absorbed using the minimum salary exception.
what??????
Didn’t see that one coming
As a lakers fan…… WTF?
why would lakers do this, reed averages less then 3 points a game
My guess is they wanted the picks to take another shot at getting Bogdanovic.
Nuggets 2nd round picks are worth essentially nothing. We’re talking in the 50’s, likely late 50’s.
If they turn around and package all 3 with their ’29 first rounder though? I don’t know, it may not be enough still.
Probably the kind of move Lakers would like but they just have Pat Bev $13M to match salary
Davon Reed is a potential 3 and ad wing at the 3/2, and that is an area of desperation for them the last couple of years
Yeah I disagree with the article when it says the primary return are the picks. The picks are worth nothing. But the Nuggets are REALLY good at picking deep bench guys and eventually sending them on their way to other teams — Vanderbilt and Beasley, for instance — and they picked up Reed not once but twice. He’s a good shooter and has size and athleticism. Lakers can use him.
Has some Josh Richardson in him
Well put
LA not done.. here we go
Small-ball Lakers are all in!
Lakers done for next 10 years
Bro pressed accept trade on accident… Smh…
Wow, great move for Nuggets. They didn’t really have a backup C other than DeAndre Jordan, who is washed.
I don’t think the nuggets have 3 second round picks
??? So you trade a young player that been very good for the last month to get some draft picks. I thought they wanted to win now?
Davon Reed is a legit NBA player. I know he barely ever plays in Denver, but that’s because that team is stacked. He’s a very decent shooter and a hustle defender. Lakers will play him some and he’ll be a fan favorite.
I’m sure Reed is waived. They traded for the 3 second rounds picks to have some tradable assets.
Really doubt it. If so the Nuggs will take him back in a heartbeat.
the 3 draft picks are very late round picks which will end up being nothing. Reed been around for a while and has not made any impact at all.
hes not a legit nba player his stats are so bad
Bryant aint helping them win nothing
So they finally add a potential option on the wing, although he hasnt had much opportunity to be more in rhythm, and it depends who they’ll use in lineups around him, especially defensively at guard…
They gave up their floor spacing big, who is useful in certain matchups, but they do have more versatility at smallball 5 behind Davis…although I think for them in particular, it’s tough to lose the spacing b/c of their issues there
Denver has needed a backup big that can defend pick and roll and protect the rim since the offseason, and this isnt it, so I’m curious about his role, besides just depth behind Jokic
Why did the Lakers do that?! Bryant has been great all year long! Finishing strong in the PnR game. Great guy as a backup.
Lucky Denver!
More trades have to come now. 8 guards on the roster, 1 center. Spurs McDermott and Collins for Pat Bev and Walker and 2 x 2nds?
Those 2nd round picks will come in handy when the Lakers are a last place team next year. Confusing move when you look at AD’s injury history. If any player requires a quality backup it would be AD.
In that case wouldn’t the 2nd round picks still provide more value than Bryant? Like if Bryant walks the Lakers get nothing. So unless the expectation would be that they would resign him and get more in a trade in a year from now, then why not move him especially if he was unhappy. I agree for depth purposes for this year it doesn’t make much sense but I imagine the Lakers have something else in mind…whether that be them expecting some bigs to become available before the deadline or via buyouts or if they have some sort of plan in the offseason.
It’s possible they want the 2nd’s for another deal, since Rui deal depleted theirs.
Or it might have to do with the off season and next year. Bryant, like Walker, could be a hard guy to re-sign without using cap space or an exception; which ever direction the LAL go, using either for him might not be in their plan.
This has to be a move to make made in order to make a move with those picks right???
Who the hell wants three 2nd rd picks from the best team in basketball? You can pick those up for cash literally any year.
But you only have a certain amount of cash per season you can trade. Some teams might also look at those picks as kicking the can down the road on draft night. Instead of using one of their 2nd picks this year on a player they might not love, they can flip it for another pick or two in a future year.
Just read that Bryant asked the Lakers to look around for him. Not satisfied with his role after AD returned. Don’t blame him. He should have had more of a shot playing a stretch 4. Best two 3 pt % shooters on Lakers don’t play. Christie and Bryant…granted its on limited shots. Love the guy, but getting 3 x 2nds for a min free agent signing who you will not be able to re-sign next year is an awesome haul. And it means more trades have to come. I don’t think Lakers waive Reed, he has another year on his contract and its min amount.
So disappointed with this. Maybe they see Reed as a poor man’s pat bev, but bryant has Been key all year. There has to be a big move coming. I’m hearing A.D to Chicago. Pat Beverly will be packaged with someone on the next trade with those 2nd rounders to preserve remaining 1st. Also if lakers finish better that pelicans , the get 1st rounder back. I don’t see them giving all that up for bogy.no way. It’s gotta be bigger than him.
Nuggets out here making real moves while Celtics trading for bums like Muscala
Bryant was upset with playing time so they trade him to Denver where he will play 15 mpg max and maybe 10 mpg in the playoffs? Lol
Mo Bamba!! Thats the answer. So they replace Bryant with Mo and net 2 2nd round pics and Reed, who did have some decent 3 pt success, although not this year. I think this is a win.