Why the Los Angeles Lakers should pursue a trade for Nemanja Bjelica

3. Nemanja Bjelica adds depth to the frontcourt and is a solid style fit

Nemanja Bjelica would essentially take over Markieff Morris’ role in the rotation. Morris has not been that great this season and would probably have to be included in a trade for Bjelica. Bjelica is not having a great season either, but he is doing so playing on the Kings, not the Lakers.

The hope would be that the Lakers would flip two players who are not playing up to their potential and they would get the better end of it. To be fair, Bjelica is still playing better than Morris is now and his ceiling is much higher.

The Lakers are not a three-point-centric team but they certainly will benefit from more shooting. While his shooting stroke has not yet come around this season, Bjelica is a career 38.9% three-point shooter and shot over 40% from beyond the arc the three seasons prior to 2020-21.

He is around a league-average defender, which is better than what Morris has been offering thus far this season, and he provides size. While he is far from a traditional center, he would add more size to the bench backcourt next to Montrezl Harrell and is someone who is better off guarding traditional centers while also being able to space the floor.

There are only four active players in the league (minimum 500 three-point attempts) who have shot 38% or better from beyond the arc with a rebounding percentage of 12% or higher throughout their career — Bjelica, Meyers Leonard, JaMychal Green and Karl Anthony-Towns.

There have been 17 seasons in NBA history in which a player shot above 40% from beyond the arc with a rebounding percentage 12% or higher (with 150 three-point attempts) — Bjelica has two of the 17 (all of which happening since 2010).

Nine of those 17 seasons resulted in an all-star berth.