1. Swapping bigs with the Detroit Pistons
The Los Angeles Lakers swap Montrezl Harrell for another big with a team that is still going to be in rebuilding mode despite having the first overall pick. However, while Detroit won’t be a contender anytime soon, Harrell would be a solid addition for a team like Detroit to at least play more promising basketball.
A team like Detroit is not going to nitpick Harrell’s defense like a contending team would and instead would be acquiring him for his scoring presence near the rim. Detroit would also lean into an identity of being a scoring team with Cade Cunningham, Harrell and Jerami Grant leading the way.
Plumlee, while solid, does not have that same scoring ceiling as Harrell. However, he does give the Los Angeles Lakers exactly what they need at the center position. Plumlee is the typical rim-protecting, rebounding center that also can be solid in the Lakers’ offense.
Plumlee is solid in the pick and roll and can definitely fit into the lob-catching big man mold that works so well alongside LeBron James. He is a capable enough defender and is under contract for two years, allowing the Lakers to flip Harrell leaving for nothing into two years of an answer at the center position.