The Los Angeles Lakers are banking on internal development providing Anthony Davis and LeBron James with a championship-caliber supporting cast. It's a risky endeavor, albeit while reflecting a long overdue shift in front office philosophy.
As Los Angeles prioritizes the growth of the young players on its roster, however, it must not lose sight of opportunities to improve on the trade market.
The Lakers have a history of giving up first-round draft picks for quick-fix players who tend to leave the organization within a season or two. It's been the mark of the Rob Pelinka era, oftentimes accounting for why the franchise has failed to establish any semblance of consistency.
For perspective: It's been over a decade since the Lakers have won a playoff series in consecutive seasons, and nearly 15 years since they won 50 games in back-to-back campaigns.
Thankfully, options with long-term value exist for the Lakers on the trade front. More specifically, players who occupy a role that Los Angeles has failed to fill up to this point—that of the 3-and-D wing—could be available before or on the day of the trade deadline.
The question is: Who are those affordable 3-and-D wings and what exactly might they bring to the table in both the short-term and the long-term?
Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets
Evaluating Dorian Finney-Smith as a 3-and-D wing requires teams to look past his Brooklyn Nets tenure. Brooklyn has created a rather eclectic roster in recent seasons, oftentimes doubling up on players cut from the same cloth and thus failing to establish discernable off-ball roles.
When Finney-Smith has played alongside high-level playmakers, however, he's firmly established himself as one of the NBA's premier 3-and-D wings.
Between 2019-20 and 2021-22, Finney-Smith buried 1.9 three-point field goals per game and 2.2 per 36 minutes on 38.9 percent shooting. He did so while operating alongside Luka Doncic, which bodes well for how Finney-Smith would function with LeBron James.
With a team-friendly contract and two-way value, Finney-Smith looks the part of the missing piece for Los Angeles in 2024-25.
Finney-Smith is owed $14,924,167 for the 2024-25 season, thus making him a realistic target from a financial perspective. In the event that Jarred Vanderbilt is identified as a poor fit in Los Angeles, he could be at the heart of a trade for one of the best 3-and-D wings around.
Finney-Smith may decline his player option for the 2025-26 campaign, but if the Lakers land a commitment from him to re-sign, this would be well worth the investment.
Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs
There was a time when Keldon Johnson looked the part of the next big thing for the San Antonio Spurs. He won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in Tokyo in 2020, shot 39.8 percent from beyond the arc in 2021-22, and averaged a career-high 22.0 points per game in 2022-23.
Since the arrival of Victor Wembanyama, however, it appears as though San Antonio no longer values Johnson in the way it once did.
Johnson came off the bench on 42 different occasions in 2023-24, and played fewer than 30 minutes in 31 different games. That could speak to San Antonio's willingness to part ways with the former Olympian, thus opening the door for the Lakers to make their move,
Johnson may not be a perfect fit alongside Wembanyama, but he's still just 24 years of age and has significant 3-and-D upside to explore—on a dream of a contract, no less.
Johnson is entering the second season of a four-year, $74 million contract. It's a frontloaded deal, with his $19,000,000 salary for the 2024-25 season decreasing to matching figures of $17.5 million for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 campaigns.
Many have pondered how a D'Angelo Russell trade could actually pan out. Giving San Antonio a productive point guard and draft compensation in exchange for Johnson could be the answer.
Moses Moody, Golden State Warriors
Arguably the most intriguing option on this list, Moses Moody could be available under a specific set of circumstances. The Golden State Warriors would like to sign both Moody and Jonathan Kuminga to extensions, but there's a chance they'll be priced out of doing so.
Kuminga could be in the market for a max-level rookie extension, which could result in Moody falling just outside of what the Warriors can realistically afford.
In the event that the Warriors are unable to extend Moody, then they could look to trade him to avoid losing him for nothing. The Lakers would be ideally suited to make an offer, with a combination of expiring salaries, quality pieces, and draft compensation.
If Los Angeles manages to acquire Moody, then it would be bringing in one of the most promising young 3-and-D players in the NBA.
Moody, who's still just 22 years of age, finished the 2023-24 regular season with averages of 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 three-point field goals made per game on .462/.360/.785 shooting. Those numbers translated to 16.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.2 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes.
If the Lakers are willing to give him consistent playing time, then Moody could prove to be a true franchise cornerstone as a developable 3-and-D wing.