While the NBA Playoffs trek on, the offseason has started for 22 other NBA teams and with that, the trade rumors have started to trickle out. The first notable rumor being a potential split between the Boston Celtics and Kemba Walker.
Reports indicate that both sides want to move on this offseason with Walker not living up to expectations and the Celtics reportedly attempting to trade him in the past. The Celtics have already made headlines with Brad Stevens being promoted to President of Basketball Operations and Danny Ainge stepping down and they could look to make this happen fast.
The Los Angeles Lakers have not made the same offseason headlines (yet) that the Celtics have made although they are also coming off of a very disappointing result. With plenty of uncertanties in LA, there is a good chance that next season’s roster looks nothing like this season’s roster.
Perhaps next season’s Los Angeles Lakers roster could include Kemba Walker.
While there have been no concrete reports of interested parties yet, we could see the rare Lakers-Celtics trade as a Kemba Walker trade between the two parties actually makes sense.
And I know what you are thinking: Walker has not been the same player in Boston and his knee injuries are a legitimate concern. That is all completely valid but for the reasons outlined in this article, the Lakers may look past that and trade for the ceiling of Walker.
Let’s get into the two key reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers trading for Kemba Walker very well could happen.
1. The Los Angeles Lakers need to improve but have limited options
While injuries ultimately derailed the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, I cannot wholeheartedly say that the team would have won the NBA Finals with Anthony Davis healthy. They certainly would have gotten past Phoenix, but the supporting cast around AD and LeBron James just did not fit.
The Lakers’ title window is not that long with LeBron James turning 37 in December and they have to make bold moves to capitalize on this window in which LeBron is still an All-NBA player, assuming he remains one of the 15 best players next season.
The problem is that the team does not have much to do. This is not the same situation where they have a ton of assets to trade for a superstar and they do not really have the cap to sign any big-name free agent, not that there is anyone notable anyway. The options are limited, which is why Walker makes sense.
Again, this is all about upside. Walker has not been the same player in Boston that he was in Charlotte but you take the risk that he can figure it out, stay healthy and give the Lakers 85% of what that was in Charlotte. If he can do that, the Lakers get their third running mate alongside LeBron and AD.
If not, the Lakers at least get a veteran point guard who can take some of the playmaking duties off of LeBron James.
The Lakers can utilize the Bird Rights they acquired when trading for Dennis Schroder to include him in a sign-and-trade deal for Kemba. The Celtics initially were not a team that I forecasted to be in the market for a Schroder sign-and-trade, but this changes everything.
Schroder would get his payday of $20 million or so and the Lakers would add other assets on top of that in order to make the deal work. The best part? The Lakers would not have to pay much for Schroder, because of the situation that the Celtics are in.
2. The Boston Celtics have every reason to give Kemba Walker away for cheap
The main goal here for the Boston Celtics is moving on from Kemba Walker’s contract. It is clear that Walker is not a great fit in Boston and that the relationship simply was not meant to be. The problem for the Celtics is that they owe a lot of money to Walker and he restricts the team from getting better in any sense moving forward.
Walker is under contract for another two seasons, counting his player option for the 2022-23 season. While the Celtics could theoretically be patient, they also do not want to waste the potential that they have in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. As we see time and time again, stars can get upset and want out quickly.
Thus, the Celtics have every season to flip Walker’s one massive contract for multiple smaller contracts that helps the depth of the roster while making the situation more manageable.
The trade:
Celtics fans might not say this is enough for a former all-star but you have to gauge the situation. The most value in this trade for Boston is getting rid of Kemba and his contract. Maybe you can convince the Lakers to throw in the 22nd pick this year but that is as far as it will go.
Schroder simply has to agree to a three-year deal worth $60 million with a player option in that third year. That is more than a fair price after his performance last season. Throw in Kyle Kuzma’s increased salary in 2021 and boom: the money matches.
So why would Boston do this? Schroder at $20 million is not a great deal and Kuzma is not the same valuable young piece that he was two years ago.
The reason being is that they can try things out with Schroder, as they also do not have an avenue to pivot at point guard, and if it does not work his contract is going to be significantly easier to move. Kuzma gives the team wing depth and has a nice in-between contract to pair in a trade in the future if needed.
The Celtics are consolidating the assets and getting out of the contract. The Los Angeles Lakers are taking the gamble that Walker can be better because they do not have many other options.
It is a risky move for both sides but with the position that both teams are in, it makes sense.