Grade the trade: Lakers add third superstar in proposed package
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers came up just short in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Los Angeles reinvented the roster at the trade deadline and put together a talented core of players that was able to — rather easily — make it to the Western Conference Finals.
However, the Lake Show ran into a better team. It was the Denver Nuggets’ year as Nikola Jokic and Co. swept the Lakers in four games before winning the NBA Finals in five games. Denver was the best team in the league and was the rightful champion.
That being said, the Lakers were not that far behind the Nuggets. While the series did end in a sweep, all four games were competitive and came down to execution late in the game. The Lake Show is a lot closer to usurping Denver than the sweep indicates.
The Lakers may look to add a third star to shrink this gap.
The Lakers put together a solid core of young players and the team is not going to be in the business of ripping that core apart for another Russell Westbrook-like trade. However, if the team could add a third star while keeping most of the young core intact it could result in great things.
It sounds unlikely but the Lakers have the means to do so, the team just has to find the right star and the right team. Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report may have found the right team, as they recently put together five realistic NBA trades that could shake up of the offseason.
And while most of the deals involved Damian Lillard, there is one Lakers trade for a different all-star that is very intriguing to break down. Let’s dive into the trade and hand out some grades.