Los Angeles Lakers: 2 potential trades for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

1. The Los Angeles Lakers swap Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for JJ Redick

This is a trade that I normally would not be a huge fan of because on the surface, flipping multiple years of KCP for half a season of Redick, with Redick’s not-so-great defense, does not make a lot of sense. However, with the Lakers potentially wanting to free up money changes everything.

This might seem strange as the New Orleans Pelicans already have the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2023 first-round pick as part of the Anthony Davis trade. The Pelicans actually have a pick swap for 2023, and with the Lakers likely still being a contending team, the Pelicans probably won’t be swapping picks.

That is why the Lakers can sweeten the protections on the draft pick with the New Orleans Pelicans. Instead of a pick swap, the Lakers can outright trade the pick to the Pelicans, protecting the pick in the top five in the outside chance that something terrible happens and the Lakers have a top-five pick.

A first-round pick for a minimal offensive upgrade in JJ Redick might seem like an overpay but the Lakers are already giving up so much draft capital to New Orleans and probably would trade that pick if they had it anyways.

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The important thing is saving money and this is the one trade where the Lakers would get someone who replaces KCP in the rotation almost exactly. With nothing else to really package into the deal to make it worthwhile for New Orleans, the Lakers have to get creative with the picks they have already traded to New Orleans.