Former Los Angeles Lakers draft pick, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, is playing well for the Detroit Pistons since being traded prior to the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline.
The Los Angeles Lakers made a few moves before last season’s trade deadline that affected their future. One trade that isn’t talked about enough is when they traded wing Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk.
Svi Mykhailiuk was basically given away as the Lakers traded him and a second-round pick to the Detroit Pistons for Reggie Bullock. Bullock was supposed to be the piece the Lakers got to help them make the playoffs. Instead, he averaged only 9.3 points on 34 percent from deep and the Lakers missed the postseason.
The move that you hear about more is the Ivica Zubac trade. The Lakers lost that trade by an even wider margin as they got Mike Muscala. Muscala averaged 5.9 points in 15.6 minutes with the team. Zubac went on to help the Clippers make the playoffs and he averaged 9.4 points and 7.7 rebounds with them.
The Svi deal may haunt the Lakers and it’s starting to show. The main reason being that the Lakers only got a rental for him.
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Bullock wasn’t as productive as they expected him to be and they gave away a pick as well. Also, Svi is still growing as a player as he is in his only in his second year.
Mykhailiuk isn’t playing like a star or anything near that level, but he has shown flashes of being a good role player. He is averaging nine points on 40 percent from deep. Had the Lakers kept him, he would likely be their best shooter.
In the month of January, he was playing the best basketball of his two-year career. He averaged 13.3 points on 44 percent from downtown. He had a stretch of nine straight games in double figures.
Svi Mykhailiuk is 6″7 and is a bit more athletic than your typical shooter. He is also on his rookie deal which could’ve helped the Lakers.
It’s hard to complain as the Lakers have the second-best record at this point and are favorites to win it all. One thing that can’t be argued though is that Svi would’ve been nice to have around.