The Pistons player that the Lakers should actually be trading for
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons have been connected via trade rumors this season. With Detroit in the basement of the NBA and Cade Cunningham being declared out for the rest of the year, the team is in sell mode as they tank for Victor Wembanyama.
The big name that has connected the two teams is wing Bojan Bogdanovic. Los Angeles needs three-point shooting and Bogdanovic is one of the best three-point shooters in the league. Detroit acquired Bogie for dirt cheap from the Utah Jazz, signing him to a three-year extension shortly after.
Despite the Lakers’ interest, it does not appear a trade will happen. Detroit reportedly wants a fully unprotected first-round pick from the Lakers for Bogdanovic and quite frankly, that is not worth it at all for LA. He is 34 years old, and is not going to age gracefully and that pick is the most valuable asset the team has.
Los Angeles should not give up on a trade with the tanking Pistons, though. There is another role player in Detroit that should be cheaper to acquire and would fit just as well in Los Angeles.
The Lakers should be trying to trade for Alec Burks.
The six-six two-guard may not be a traditional wing but with how this roster is constructed, he would give LA its best wing presence. He might not be as prolific as Bogdanovic as a role-playing scorer but he still would add much-needed shooting presence to this rotation.
Burks is shooting 38.2% from three in 4.8 attempts per game and that is a down year for the shooting guard. He is a career 41.8% three-point shooter and shot over 40% from three in each of the last two seasons.
He is also much more valuable defensively than Bogdanovic is. Burks is by no means a lockdown defender but he can certainly hold his own on the perimeter. Bogdanovic, meanwhile, is a very below-average defensive player.
Burks does not have the high-profile name that Bogdanovic does and the Lakers should be able to get a deal done for cheaper. It is not unreasonable to think that the Lakers could send a package of Patrick Beverley (expiring contract), Max Christie (valuable young player) and a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft for Burks.
Nobody is trading a first-round pick for Burks and if the tanking Pistons want to be stingy and not get any assets that is on them. Could this offer be beaten? Absolutely. Should the Lakers send a first-round pick? Not at all.
Burks is a slightly worse version of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and KCP was traded for Monte Morris and Will Barton this last offseason. If that is what KCP gets then it is not crazy to think the Lakers can get Burks for a young player and a second-round pick.
This also would keep the Lakers’ financial flexibility. Not only would they be saving $4 million this season but Burks has a club option worth $10 million next season. If he balls out and is a good fit the Lakers get a solid role player for market value. If he doesn’t then they can wipe their hands with it and move on.