3 pros, 2 cons to Lakers trading for Donovan Mitchell

Pro: Donovan Mitchell is one of the best scorers in the NBA

The Los Angeles Lakers have two of the most consistent scoring threats that the NBA has to offer. LeBron James finished 2023-24 with an average of 25.7 points per game, while Anthony Davis was only a hair behind at 24.7 himself.

For as great as Davis and James are at putting points on the board, the Lakers are without an athletic perimeter scoring threat who can break teams down from 24 feet and score without fatigue.

Enter Donovan Mitchell.

Mitchell has made his name as one of the best and most explosive scorers in the NBA. He’s averaged at least 20.5 points per game in each of his seven NBA seasons, with marks over 25.9 being registered in each of his past four campaigns—forgive the 24.0 he scored in 2019-20 and the 23.8 he mustered in 2018-19.

Over the past two seasons, the five-time All-Star has posted a cumulative average of 27.5 points per game on .475/.378/.866 shooting.

For all of the talk about team needs, few things would help the Lakers more than finding an athletic scorer who can generate offense from the perimeter. Not only would it create pick and roll opportunities for Davis, but it would take a monumental burden off of a soon-to-be 40-year-old James.

Constructing the perfectly deep roster is a dream for every general manager, but adding a player who can score efficiently and explosively is the kind of opportunity that tends to take precedence in the NBA.

Especially when that player tends to be at their best in the postseason.