2 trades the Los Angeles Lakers can make to rebuild starting 5

The end result for the Los Angeles Lakers:

Not only do the Los Angeles Lakers get off of Russell Westbrook but they bring three new starters into the starting five. Plus, the team keeps most of his financial flexibility as both Beverley and Turner are on expiring deals. LA would have to pick up the tab on Hield’s contract next season but that is why trading THT makes sense as they free up that money.

After these trades, the Lakers’ starting five would probably look like this:

• PG: Patrick Beverley
• SG: Buddy Hield
• SF: LeBron James
• PF: Anthony Davis
• C: Myles Turner

That is a much more balanced starting five than what the Lakers will roll out with Westbrook in LA. Heck, you could even argue it is more balanced than just swapping Westbrook for Kyrie Irving. It has its holes but it also has its areas of strength.

The team adds a very good perimeter defender in Beverley and while Hield and sometimes Turner can get hunted on defense, the tandem of Beverley and Anthony Davis is a great start defensively. The team also adds shooters as both Hield and Turner can knock down shots, which is desperately needed on this roster.

The bench rotation would be pretty decent as well. It is not as deep at the 2020 championship team but it is better than last season. The best five off the bench would be the following:

• Kendrick Nunn
• Lonnie Walker IV
• Austin Reaves
• Cole Swider
• Thomas Bryant

3 Lakers Summer League players who earned a bigger role in the rotation

Los Angeles Lakers Summer League action is in the books and these three players earned bigger roles in the NBA rotation with their play.

The team would still have Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Troy Brown Jr., Stanley Johnson and Max Christie on the bench. That is not a bad outlook in the slightest.