How the Los Angeles Lakers can trade for JaVale McGee

How the Los Angeles Lakers can acquire JaVale McGee in a three-team trade

Rob Pelinka is going to have to get creative but it is certainly possible. With McGee’s worth not being that high and his small contract, the Los Angeles Lakers can easily swing a deal including a third team, so long that all parties (including McGee) are in on what is happening.

So the way around the rule for the Lakers is to get McGee to a second team before getting to the Lakers. If McGee is traded to another team or signs with another team after being released by the Cavs he could then become a Laker.

In this instance, we are looking at the possibility of a trade.

There are several teams that the Lakers and Cavaliers can loop in for this trade to transpire. Ideally, it will be a non-contending team that would be willing to take a potential project from the Lakers’ G League team.

Here is my best attempt at the trade, but again, that third team could be several different teams but the exact framework of the deal would remain the same.

So the Los Angeles Lakers do not get an official trade return in this package but the return is a win and nod agreement with the Cavaliers, Wizards and McGee himself.

McGee would get traded to Washington only to be released by Washington, freeing up the path for him to re-join the Lakers as he would have been on another roster in between his stints with LA and Cleveland.

So why would both the Cavaliers and Wizards agree to do this? Let’s break down the reasoning for all teams involved.