Lakers Offseason: 5 Bold Moves the Team Could Make This Summer
By Eric Yee
2. Sign and Trade Jordan Clarkson
This seems the most unlikely until you consider that the number two pick alone isn’t necessarily even enough to trade for a star player on its lonesome. Translation: The Lakers would likely have to package one of their coveted young core players to get anything back in return.
Looking at Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell‘s harmless contracts, trading Clarkson might be the most realistic option as it could balloon into $14.5 million on average over a four year contract.
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The junior guard out of the University of Missouri has shown great improvement over the course of his two season in the NBA, especially in regards to his outside and spot up shooting, but still remains a liability on the defensive end of the floor.
Alongside young buddies Randle and Russell, who aren’t defensive specialists by any means, the problem only compounds as attested to by their abysmal fourth worst, 106.9 points allowed per game last season. Unless the Lakers haul in a defensive center, a la Hassan Whiteside, this offseason this could become an issue moving forward.
It is the hope that Luke Walton will come in and reestablish the basic building blocks of defense that Byron Scott claimed to be a student of, but for now everything is up in the air.
Next: Steal Away Ettore Messina and/or David Blatt