5 LeBron James trades that would actually make sense for the Los Angeles Lakers: Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers are bound to find their name in trade conversations all summer, as they have the third pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. And if the Los Angeles Lakers decided to trade LeBron James, that pick could be high on their priority list.
Adding the third pick in this year’s draft would help set the Lakers up beautifully for the future. Whether it be Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller, they would be in great shape.
Los Angeles would also snag Anfernee Simons in this deal, who has shown all of the skills to be an All-Star in this league. He could form a nice duo with Anthony Davis in LA.
Nassir Little is another solid piece for the Lakers to deploy on the wing, and Jusuf Nurkic would be added in order to match salaries.
For the Trail Blazers, this would be an amazing opportunity to help Damian Lillard push for a championship in Portland, pairing him with one of the greatest players of all time.
Sure, James would likely only stick around for a season or two, but they could have a real shot at winning it all. There’s a chance Portland would rather trade for a younger co-star, but this is LeBron James we’re talking about. They’d make an offer.
Potential starting lineups:
Lakers: Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson (or Brandon Miller), Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Anthony Davis
Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard, Shaedon Sharpe, LeBron James, Jerami Grant, Drew Eubanks (or center signed in free agency)