Lakers: Dennis Schroder trade ensures this one player won’t be dealt

The Los Angeles Lakers traded for Dennis Schroder and in doing so they guaranteed that one potential trade asset won’t be dealt.

The Los Angeles Lakers made their first move of the offseason and it was a fairly significant one. The Lakers swapped Danny Green and the 28th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft for Oklahoma City Thunder point guard, Dennis Schroder.

This was a really savvy move by Rob Pelinka. Green struggled in the NBA bubble and it was clear that the Lakers could improve on the three-time champion and they did so without having to include any young asset on the roster.

Schroder is a solid point guard who will slot in nicely as the Lakers’ second ball-handler/facilitator and is a solid scoring threat as well. He averaged 18.9 points per game off the bench last season along with 4.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds.

He fills in nicely at the point guard position as the Lakers may lose Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Avery Bradley this offseason.

This trade for Schroder is just the start and the Los Angeles Lakers are bound to make subsequent moves. However, this move does secure one Lakers’ future with the team and keeps a potential trade bait in LA.

Talen Horton-Tucker will definitely not be traded by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Acquiring Schroder guarantees that the Los Angeles Lakers will not trade Talen Horton-Tucker this offseason and it has more to do with what the Lakers traded for Schroder than it does Schroder himself.

The reason why THT is guaranteed to stay in the purple and gold is the fact that the Lakers did move on from the 28th overall pick. With the impact of the Anthony Davis trade as well the Lakers do not have much young capital moving forward.

For that reason, it makes more sense for the Lakers to keep THT as one of their young projects and develop him. The team has done a great job in doing so with players like Alex Caruso and there is a lot to like about THT as a player.

He could develop into a legitimate combo-guard with plus defense because of his length. It probably will take some time, as he is just turning 20 this November, but the potential is there and the track record of developing players is also in the Lakers’ favor.

Heck, THT might actually get a bigger role this season as well with KCP, Rondo and Bradley potentially leaving LA. Schroder helps fill that gap and more players will be added but there may be more minutes for THT to make his mark next season.

Kyle Kuzma is absolutely still on the table, but I am fairly certain that the Los Angeles Lakers just guaranteed that Talen Horton-Tucker will not be traded.