Why the Los Angeles Lakers should not trade for Kemba Walker

The Los Angeles Lakers are poised to make a big move this offseason.

With their rather disappointing end to the 2020-2021 season in a first-round exit to the Phoenix Suns, it is clear the Lakers will be looking to retool their roster in hopes of becoming NBA champions once again.

This likely will mean there will be a blockbuster trade the Lakers will be a part of this offseason.

Rumors are already swirling about who the team could be targeting and in talks to acquire. One of the players whose name has gained a little bit of traction is former UCONN point guard, Kemba Walker.

Walker was recently traded from the Boston Celtics to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He, along with a 2021 first-round pick and 2025 second-round pick, were sent to Oklahoma City in return for Al Horford, Moses Brown, and a 2023 second-round pick.

Walker was reportedly devastated after being traded from Boston and will likely be looking to show the Celtics what they gave up on once he makes his way to a contending team.

He would not be a horrific fit on the Lakers by any means. He is a quality three-point shooter who can spread the floor. Along with this, he would take some of the playmaking and ball-handling responsibilities off of LeBron James’s shoulders.

However, trading for Walker would be very difficult for the Lakers and is something they should avoid.

Why the Los Angeles Lakers should avoid trading for Kemba Walker:

Creating a Package That Works

The Los Angeles Lakers do not have too many tradeable contracts on their roster. Most of the money on the team is taken up by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Outside of those two, most of the remainder of the roster is made up of players on rookie deals or near minimum contracts.

For a trade to work, Montrezl Harrell would have to be traded or decline his player option, or Dennis Schröder would have to be in the deal as a sign-and-trade piece.

However, it would not make too much sense in adding Schröder to the trade as the talent level between he and Walker is not worth paying an extra $11-20 million per year.

Along with this, Schröder just played for the Thunder in the 2019-2020 season.

It is possible for the Lakers to put together a package for Walker, however, it would be rather difficult.

Cap Concerns

If Walker is added to the team, he, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James would account for around $112 million in the 2021-2022 season.

This is a lot of financial commitment to a “Big Three” in which the third option would likely never sniff an All-Star Game in the Western Conference.

Rather than paying Walker $36 million this coming season and $37 in the upcoming season, it would make much more sense to use that money to fill out the remainder of the roster with enough depth to be able to survive through injuries.

Availability 

Walker is currently a walking red flag for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Last season, he played some of the worst basketball of his entire career. He had a very rough time trying to find his place on the Boston Celtics totem pole. Along with this, injuries are beginning to catch up with him and he has missed substantial time in the past two seasons.

Last season was also the first time since 2014 that Walker has averaged less than 20 points per game. Also, the 2020-2021 season was tied for the worst defensive rating of his career at 114.

This is the riskiest time to ever trade for Kemba Walker. With better players being on the trading block, the Los Angeles Lakers should avoid making a deal for him.