The Los Angeles Lakers may not have the NBA's richest collection of trade assets, but if they pooled their best resources, they could put a formidable offer on the table. And while they'd love for that to land someone like two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, the budget can't actually stretch that far.
It could, however, address this club's most pressing defensive needs on the perimeter. That would just require cutting ties with ascending star Austin Reaves, a subtraction that would surely have the fanbase up in arms, particularly if it came without the addition of an established star.
The richest return the Lakers can realistically expect for their top assets.
If L.A. put essentially everything it had on the table, that might be just enough for New Orleans to fork over potential fixes for its defensive deficiencies and lack of three-point volume.
Murphy is an athletic, versatile defender who's averaging better than 21 points for the second consecutive campaign and owns a 38.1 percent splash rate for his career. Jones ranks among the stingiest stoppers in basketball. Bey draws fair marks for both sides of the three-and-D label.
You could see why the Lakers' decision-makers might be able to talk themselves into this trade, provided the Pelicans would sign off on the swap, of course. L.A. would be checking plenty of boxes while also skirting past the long-term questions of Reaves' worth as an unrestricted free agent and his fit alongside Luka Doncic.
This maybe wouldn't get unanimous support within L.A.'s brain trust, but a democratic debate could elicit more yays than nays. The Lakers need virtually everything that the incoming Pelicans in this hypothetical trade have to offer. A foundation built around Doncic and LeBron James arguably demands a go-for-it approach, and this is basically as aggressive as they can get.
Fans would be immediately furious, though. And they might be on to something.
For starters, the Lakers would be giving up the best player in the trade. While Murphy has more layers to his game, Reaves' ability to function as a primary shot-creator is the most valuable skill between the two, and it's not close. When win-now shoppers make their all-in attempt to clear the final hurdle, they walk away with the most talent in the trade. L.A. wouldn't do that here; at least, not in terms of nabbing the greatest individual talent.
Secondly, the Lakers would be sacrificing previously safeguarded assets like Reaves and the (notably unprotected) future first without getting back any star power. That might be impossible for fans to swallow. Granted, they have a tendency to overrate their own assets, but remember, these are the pieces they're hoping will land Giannis in L.A. Murphy and Jones are good players, but they'd be tough to sell as consolation prizes for those dreaming of a triumphant end to the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.
So, while there are basketball and business reasons for the brass to at least mull this over, fans don't need the extra time. They're already thumbs down-ing the deal and firing up the trade machines in hopes of proving the budget actually reaches farther than this.