2 Westbrook trades Lakers can make with Jazz after Donovan Mitchell deal
By Jason Reed
2. Los Angeles Lakers reunite with Jordan Clarkson
The classic four-for-two. The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly want to keep cap space open for next summer so the team has a chance to sign Kyrie Irving. Trading for Conley would hurt that pursuit and this trade would make it much easier for the Lakers to have the cap space to make it happen.
Bogdanovic and Alexander-Walker are both on expiring contracts and would create cap space for the Lakers next summer. Jordan Clarkson and Rudy Gay both have two more years under contract but combined are making less than Conley next season.
Plus, the Lakers will have a much easier time moving Clarkson and Gay next summer if they need to then they will move Conley. For that reason, this trade is better for the Lakers both for the talent they get in return as well as their future plans.
Los Angeles sends Wenyen Gabriel back in the trade because they don’t have the roster spot to take on four players and it helps take some of the money off the books for this season as the team is over the luxury tax. Utah still isn’t taking much more in this trade, though, as they are only increasing their payroll by $2.9 million.
Bogdanovic and Clarkson would be prominent role players for the Lakers while Alexander-Walker could be a young player that the team looks to keep around after this season and develop. There is some potential there, after all.
Rudy Gay does not have that much to offer at this point in his career but he will still be better than some of the veterans that Los Angeles brought in last season, so that is a plus. He probably is more impactful than Wenyen Gabriel as well.