Mission Not Accomplished: Lakers Are Losers At Trade Deadline

If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse

In an annual rite of passage, the Los Angeles Lakers came up empty at the trade deadline. Their current (hideous) roster, desperate for a complete overhaul, and one in which Byron Scott says, “has holes at every position”, will remain in-tact for the rest of the year.

Eight point guards traded teams on Thursday, several of whom were on the Lakers wish list this summer. Having less money to offer free agents, coupled with two straight years without a playoff appearance, in other words a losing culture, strips the Lakers of significant power to make prime deals. By default, the Lakers may be forced to start a mediocre point guard for the fourth season in a row in 2015-16.

Feb 6, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic (1) looks on against the Utah Jazz at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Goran Dragic, who the Lakers coveted enough to set a market price, was traded to the Miami Heat. The Heat, a playoff team, will offer Dragic the 5 year maximum deal come summer. Of note: no one has ever turned Pat Riley down (well except for Lebron James).

Brandon Knight was having a career year for the Milwuakee Bucks and had been their most consistent player all year, averaging 18 points and 4 rebounds. He was traded to the Phoenix Suns to replace Dragic. His combo-guard game is a better fit for the Suns system. The Suns will match any offer come this off-season.

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Reggie Jackson was incredibly unhappy with Oklahoma City and did not have a good relationship with Kevin Durant. He was traded to the Pistons who have, give or take, $15 million to spend this summer. The Pistons have to re-sign Greg Monroe to a free agent deal and hope the Lakers or other teams don’t front load a Reggie Jackson restricted free-agent offer. The Pistons will try to move Brandon Jennings who is rehabbing from Achilles surgery and will be ready by October. Look for the Pistons to deal Jennings $8 million dollar contract (one year remaining) on draft night. The Lakers may be buyers.

Michael Carter-Williams, Rookie of the Year, a disgruntled antagonist to the idea of tanking, was done a favor by the Sixers and traded to Milwaukee. It’s a good acquisition for the Bucks. Carter-Williams fits into the Jason Kidd pure point guard model and not the combo guard archetype of Brandon Knight. Plus, Carter-Williams is cheap.

Norris Cole was traded to the Pelicans to fill in for an injured Jrue Holliday. Cole isn’t a starter but he is explosive and can contribute on a good team.

Feb 6, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Isaiah Thomas (3) reacts after making a shot against the Utah Jazz at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Phoenix, who signed Isaiah Thomas last summer creating this Dragic explosion, sent him east. To be fair, the Lakers were never high on the diminutive Isaiah Thomas. They could have drafted him out of college. Thomas was the last pick selected in 2011. But, instead the Lakers took Ater Majok. Majok has played in Turkey, Australia, Slovakia, Belarus, South Korea, Germany and is currently with the Los Angeles Defenders. Isaiah Thomas’ career average of 15 points, 5 assists is higher than any Lakers point guard from 2011-2015. Thomas was traded to the Celtics.

Acquiring no one on trade day while so many other teams made point guard moves leaves the Lakers looking incompetent, like they were invited to a party but went to the wrong house. With very few options to sign a young guard with explosiveness and scoring ability, they’ll have to do the next best thing which won’t look much different than this year or last year. Randy Foye or Patrick Beverly or Raymond Felton may be their best shot after striking out because Rajon Rondo is staying in Dallas and Goran Dragic re-upped with the Heat and Brandon Knight is staying Phoenix. This is your future, a team dead last in the Western Conference in the backcourt. So the Lakers are back where they started, desperate for a solution their money cannot fix.

The Lakers will spin their defeat as they always do. They will point to a long range plan that is invisible to most of us. They will say this is what they wanted all along, to maintain cap flexibility. But what good is money if you can’t use it to acquire talented players? Or, if one more year is lost waiting for the ordinary to become extraordinary. You need players to get players. An open roster with a lot of money, on its own, doesn’t solve problems anymore. That will get you a 20 win season. And a team loaded with young/and or marginal players.

Next: Why Lakers Standing Pat At Trade Deadline Was Right Move