Los Angeles Lakers will regret trading Isaac Bonga

Will the Los Angeles Lakers regret trading Isaac Bonga?

The Los Angeles Lakers had a roster overhaul that began dealing a promising future for a superstar in Anthony Davis. The Lakers also dealt Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, Jemerrio Jones, and a 2022 second-round draft pick to Washington, while New Orleans received cash considerations from the Wizards.

While the Lakers failed to land a second-star player this offseason, they did a heck of a job. Signing guys like DeMarcus Cousins, Danny Green, and Quinn Cook will make the Lakers a sure contender. One thing that is being lost in all of this is what the Lakers lost to the Wizards, not just to New Orleans. Everyone talks about what Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram can potentially be, and rightfully so, but the Lakers lost more.

Getting rid of Bonga is something the Lakers may regret in a few years. The Lakers saw something in the German prospect as they traded a future second-rounder to Philadelphia to draft him. Bonga is an experiment at this stage. But he is only 19-years-old and has a lot of room to grow.

I know what most fans are thinking. He only averaged 0.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.5 minutes. He only shot 5-of-33 from the field in 22 games.

That’s not the point. It’s what he can become that can make the Lakers cringe in due time.

At 6″9 with length, he has the potential to be a premier defender. On offense, Bonga runs the point if needed. Only Ben Simmons plays point guard with that size. Bonga, like Simmons, needs a lot of improvement on his shooting. The encouraging thing is that he at least looks to take the shot, if available. (In the G-League he made 34% of his attempts).

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The NBA has become about size and length. The Simmons’, the Giannis’, the Durant’s, all these guys are versatile and can play multiple spots. Bonga has that quality in him, it’s something that can’t be acquired, it’s something that you have or don’t.

If Bonga can somehow find a mid-range game or be a threat from deep, it will make him one intriguing talent.

The Lakers have gone wrong over the last 10-15 years when trading young talent before. Lakers traded away players like D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, and it has hurt them.

Trading Bonga is similar to when the Lakers traded Marc Gasol, an international prospect in a package for his brother Pau Gasol. The traded clearly worked out for the Lakers as they won two rings in 2009-10, but Marc became a terrific player.

At the time of the trade (2008), Marc Gasol was a 23-year-old prospect from Spain that many people that didn’t know much about. Less than a full year later, Gasol came to the states and became the Grizzlies starting center as a rookie.

Gasol made the All-Rookie Second Team posting averages of 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds. He then went on to make three All-Star teams, and was even named Defensive Player of the Year in 2013.

Isaac Bonga might not become a star like Gasol but it’s a trade that is similar due to the fact that there are so many unanswered questions. Nobody knows what he will be, or what he will look like down the line. Will he grow? Will he get stronger? Will he play point guard or small forward?

It will be interesting to see what a rebuilding Wizards team does with Bonga this season. The Wizards are pretty thin on the perimeter with John Wall out. The team signed Isaiah Thomas in the offseason to play point guard in the meantime, and added Ish Smith. After that there’s no other lead guard. Maybe the Wizards give their young guys an opportunity in what will likely be a long season.

Expect Bonga to play a lot in the G-League this season. Last year in the G-League he posted averages of 11.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. Bonga displayed his ability to be disruptive on the defensive end, averaging more than a steal and block.

Remember the name, and check back in a few seasons. Isaac Bonga will be a nice piece the Lakers wish they kept.