With the trade deadline just under a month away, we’re taking the next few weeks to break down trade targets at every position for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers have a good problem in the frontcourt, particularly at the power forward position. While they’re not the Philadelphia 76ers–more on them in just a second–they have an abundance of talent at the four headlined by the No. 7 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Julius Randle, and the high-flying Larry Nance Jr.
Not to mention Brandon Ingram, who might have the skill to play either forward positions once his thin frame fills out. So do they need a power forward? No, but it wouldn’t hurt to add, or replace, a body in the frontcourt. Preferably one that can space the floor.
Nance and Randle have attempted 35 three-pointers combined and have only made seven of them. Nance has a more developed midrange game than Randle, but it’s hard to imagine either one of the turn into a stretch-four by next season.
In an era that values shooting bigs, the Lakers don’t have any. That’s why we’ve put together a few trades to address that problem without giving up one of the Lakers’ key young players.
None of these trades are meant to replace Nance or Randle, rather, they’re meant to give head coach Luke Walton options on the bench that would allow him to space the floor. Because the Lakers’ young core is off the table in these hypothetical trade scenarios, names like Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, Ryan Anderson and Paul Millsap will not be on here. Sorry in advance.
Nikola Mirotic
Age: 25
Contract: Signed a three-year, $16.6 million deal in 2014. Restricted free agent in 2017. Average $5.5 million a year.
2016-17 Relevant Stats: 9.1 PTS, 5.2 REB, 0.8 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.8 BLK
Personally, I would love to trade for everyone on the Chicago Bulls. Not because I’m particularly enamored with their roster, but because I feel bad for everyone on that team, especially poor Fred Hoidberg.
He was given the starting backcourt of the 2012-13 All-Star game, a disgruntled, out of position Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson and the other Lopez and was told, “make the playoffs please.” With half of the season out of the way, Hoidberg and Co. are the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference.
As great as Mike D’Antoni’s been with the Houston Rockets this season, Hoidberg deserves Coach of the Year and MVP if he manages to get the Bulls in the playoffs.
However, just because the Bulls are winning games doesn’t mean that everything is hunky-dory in Chi-Town. From Instagram rants to the occasional Jimmy Butler trade rumors, the Bulls are a mess. As fun as it has been for NBA fans to watch the beautiful mess that is the Chicago Bulls, it might be time to blow the damn thing up.
According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times, the Bulls are finally taking steps towards that:
"According to multiple sources, the Bulls have been shopping guard Rajon Rondo and forward Nikola Mirotic in hopes of bolstering the roster and making a second-half run in the wide-open Eastern Conference."
Trading Nikola Mirotic makes sense for the Bulls. The 6-foot-10 Spanish forward hasn’t been productive this season and Chicago has young bigs like Bobby Portis – who looked great at the start of the season – waiting for their chance. The question then is what can they get in return?
For their sake, let’s hope it’s a shooter. The Bulls are the worst three-point shooting team in the NBA, which is no surprise when you look at their roster. Rondo has never (not once) shot above or near 40 percent from behind the arc, nor has Wade, Butler or Michael Carter-Williams. This season has been no different.
The Lakers have a number of shooters that the Bulls could use, but Nick Young is probably the most appealing. Young is one of the best pure 3-point shooters in the NBA right now and he can play either wing positions. It won’t make the Bulls a contender, but it might sneak them into the playoffs.
A straight up Young for Mirotic swap would work, but the Lakers might feel inclined to ask for a little more. If they can get a pick, great. Everything else is gravy.
The Lakers would get a potential stretch four to audition for the rest of the season. If he turns out to be just as bad as he was with Bulls, they can let him walk in free agency.
Richaun Holmes
Age: 23
Contract: Signed a three-year, $3.1 million deal in 2015. Unrestricted free agent in 2019. Average $1.03 million a year.
2016-17 Relevant Stats: 6.8 PTS, 4.3 REB, 0.8 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.8 BLK
After spending the last several years in the lottery, the Philadelphia 76ers are finally turning things around. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons have the potential to be one of the best frontcourt duos, if not the best frontcourt duo, in the NBA.
Unfortunately, most, if not all of the talent they have, is in the frontcourt. On top Embiid and Simmons, the Sixers have the No. 3 pick in the 2015 draft, Jahlil Okafor, and lottery picks Nerlens Noel and Dario Saric. They’re going to have to flip one of them for a guard eventually, right? RIGHT?
Once they clear up their logjam in the frontcourt, they will get a better idea of what their rotation will look like. Assuming Okafor and Noel are dealt by the deadline (spoiler: they will), Simmons, Embiid and Saric will get the bulk of the playing time in the frontcourt. That’s also assuming they don’t trade for another big man, which is assuming a lot.
But going with that assumption, that leaves the No. 37 pick in the 2015 draft, Richaun Holmes, with the leftover minutes. Anyone who’s watched him play knows he deserves so much more than that.
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Holmes was taken in the second round of the draft, but if there was re-draft today he would be taken in the first round without question. His elite athleticism and ability to space the floor was tailor made for the modern NBA game. Holmes just hasn’t been given his opportunity because he’s battling for minutes with top-10 draft picks. In Los Angeles, he would not have that problem.
The Lakers could send Tarik Black and Lou Williams to Philly in exchange for Holmes. Williams and Black only make a combined $13 million a year, giving the Sixers flexibility to chase free agents in the summer.
Holmes could fill the hole at the backup center position that Black would leave. Adding him would give the Purple and Gold one of the most potent frontcourt rotations in the NBA with Holmes, Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr. and Ivica Zubac.
Philly might want to get more back for him, and I don’t blame them. The kid is good. But if they took this offer, it would be a steal for the Lakers.
Serge Ibaka
Age: 27
Contract: Signed a four-year, $49.4 million deal in 2013. Unrestricted free agent in 2017. Average $12.4 million a year.
2016-17 Relevant Stats: 15.2 PTS, 6.9 REB, 1.1 AST, 0.6 STL, 1.6 BLK
Remember when I said none of these trades were meant to replace Julius Randle or Nance? I lied.
Serge Ibaka is one of five players averaging at least 1.5 blocks per game while shooting no less than 35 percent from behind the arc. The other guys? Joel Embiid, Myles Turner, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kevin Durant. Where’s Ibaka’s unicorn horn?
However, for all he can do, he can only do so much. The Orlando Magic traded for Ibaka not even a year ago hoping he would lead Orlando to their first playoff berth in four years. With more than half of the regular season in the rearview, the Magic have the fifth worst record (20-35) in the NBA. In other words, not what they were hoping for.
Now with playoffs reasonably out of reach, the Magic are looking to deal Ibaka, according to Sporting News:
"It has not taken long for buyers’ remorse to kick in. League sources told Sporting News that the Magic have picked up their attempts to move Ibaka ahead of next month’s trade deadline, eager to ensure that they come away with some return for a player who does not figure to be in Orlando long."
Moving Ibaka would clear up playing time in the frontcourt for Aaron Gordon, who has had to play small forward this season because the Orlando Magic don’t have a wing. They did have a talented young wing in Tobias Harris, but they traded him for Brandon Jennings, Ersan Illyasova and a bag of peanuts. Hilarious.
Perhaps Orlando would be interested in Luol Deng? As bad as Deng has been in Los Angeles, there’s still reason to believe he can contribute somehwere else. He can score from virtually anywhere on the floor and he is still an above average defender.
Would the Magic do a straight up Deng for Ibaka swap? Despite their history of incompetence with trades, probably not, but if the Lakers were to throw in a few pieces they could get the deal done.
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A package of Deng, Lou Williams, Jose Calderon, Nick Young and a second-rounder for Ibaka, Jeff Green, D.J. Augustine and Mario Hezonja could do it.
Like Ibaka, Nick Young is a flight risk in free agency. Any value the Lakers can get out of him at the deadline is a win and Orlando could use a premier perimiter threat. Oh, and cap space.
If Youg decided to walk in free agency, I don’t imagine Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan weeping in the fetal position. Assuming Young and Calderon walk in free agency, the Magic would have around $16 million they wouldn’t have had otherwise. Financial flexibility is a must for Orlando after they committed big money to Bismack Biyombo (four-years $72 million) and Evan Fournier (five-years $85 million).
However, the Magic would be the obvious losers in this deal, which is a reoccuring theme for them. The Lakers would get Ibaka, a former top-five pick, a servicable backup point guard and an expiring contract for a few expendable pieces.
If Ibaka pans out, the Lakers could always look to move a few pieces of their own for another All-Star caliber player. What could a package of Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and top-three pick in the upcoming draft get them? Jimmy Butler? C.J. McCollum? Robert Sacre? I don’t know, but it would be interesting to find out.
Next: Highs and Lows vs Miluwakee
But what do you guys think? Are there better options on the table? Do the Lakers need shooting up front? Let us know in the comments below!