Lake Show Life
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5 defensive wings the Los Angeles Lakers should acquire

By Luca De Angelis

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 30: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics takes a shot over LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis #3 during the second half at TD Garden on January 30, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 30: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics takes a shot over LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis #3 during the second half at TD Garden on January 30, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

1. Kris Dunn

Having Kris Dunn be on this list is very ambitious. After all, the Atlanta Hawks are competing for a playoff spot and only recently signed Dunn to a 2-year deal, so in all likelihood, they aren’t looking to move him.

However, he’s been included as a trade target because the Hawks have a ridiculous amount of wing depth and will struggle to give Dunn regular minutes when the team is fully healthy.

Not only will he struggle to see minutes over De’Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter, Trae Young, and Cam Reddish, but he’s likely to be behind Bogdan Bogdanovic in the rotation once he’s back from his own injury. Unless Lloyd Pierce sees Dunn as a point guard and prefers him to Rajon Rondo to run the second unit, he’s likely to be behind him in the rotation too.

Thus, as unlikely as it seems, there’s an opportunity to pry Dunn from Atlanta’s grasp.

So, why would Kris Dunn be such a good fit as a Los Angeles Laker?

After all, he’s 6-foot-3 (not ideal for guarding taller wings) and struggles with his outside shot, making only 25.9% of his threes last season and approximately 30% for his career.

Dunn’s value lies in being arguably the best wing defender in the NBA and one of the most versatile. In 2019-20, he not only spent lots of time defending guards, but almost 20% of his time was spent guarding small forwards.

He led the league in pickpocket rating (loose ball steals per 75 possessions) and was in the 99th percentile for 3 point contests per 75 possessions, steals per 75 possessions, and how much ground he covers playing defense relative to minutes played.

Put simply, Dunn is a dynamic defensive weapon that would help make life a living hell for opposing wings.

It doesn’t hurt that he’s an above-average playmaker, averaging over 4 assists per game for his career and ranking in the 92nd percentile for BBall Index’s Playmaking Talent grade.

With Dunn’s salary sitting at a relatively low cap hit of $5 million per season, it’s worth the front office’s time to enquire about the 26-year-old’s availability.

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