With the 2024 Summer Olympics winding down and the 2024-25 NBA campaign approaching, the pressure has mounted for the Los Angeles Lakers to make a decision. After months of rumors, Los Angeles must decide whether or not D'Angelo Russell fits into their plans for this coming season.
Having kicked the tires on potential Russell trades already, it certainly seems as though the Lakers' intentions are clear.
The question that persists in regard to Russell's future is how a potential trade might be structured. He's one of the most productive point guards in the NBA, but his postseason shortcomings and expiring contract have some feeling reluctant to bring him aboard.
A recent trade pitch from Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report has offered a look at the type of return the Lakers could realistically be hoping for.
The Rumor
Jovan Buha of The Athletic recently reported that the Lakers have been shopping Russell since he accepted his player option in late June. That either means that Los Angeles has spent a month-and-a-half failing to move Russell or that they've taken a cautious approach to doing so.
In either scenario, the outcome remains the same: Russell remains on the roster and the Lakers are stuck in a holding pattern.
Los Angeles is rumored to be eyeing a consolidation trade closer to the start of the 2024-25 season. That could include Russell, with the goal being a move that helps clarify roles and consolidates the rotation before in-season rumors can become a distraction.
The question is: What might a trade look like? Pincus has provided their take.
The Trade
The trade that Pincus has proposed is certainly intriguing. The Lakers would be adding two young players while parting with four individuals who may not be factored into the rotation beyond the 2024-25 season.
That all begins with Los Angeles shipping out Jalen Hood-Schifino, Cam Reddish, Russell, and Christian Wood in exchange for Tre Mann and Nick Richards.
The specifics of the deal become a bit more complex, with the Jazz receiving a protected 2031 first-round draft pick from the Lakers and trade exceptions flying all around. The Lakers would be receiving two trade exceptions, which add up to $16.8 million.
For those unfamiliar, exceptions allow teams to essentially include cash instead of an actual player to make salaries match in a potential trade.
In other words: Los Angeles would be adding two up-and-coming players and receive the opportunity to utilize exceptions via Russell and Wood to execute future trades. That's especially valuable to a team like the Lakers, which lacks ideal cap space and needs help staying below the second apron.
It's interesting on paper, but the question becomes rather simple in the end: Would it actually be worth it for the Lakers to execute this move?
The Grade
Reddish and Wood are interesting role players, but they're on veteran minimum deals that expire at the end of the season. That makes the real question of whether what's lost would be worth it one that can be answered via the other four players directly involved in this deal: Hood-Schifino, Mann, Richards, and Russell.
The Hornets would get a productive point guard to play alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, as well as an interesting up-and-coming tall guard in Hood-Schifino. That could entice them to make this deal, especially with a future first-rounder coming their way.
For the Lakers, however, there would be an undeniable dropoff from Russell to Mann in the short-term—making this a true long-term gamble.
Mann played 28 games with the Hornets in 2023-24, averaging 11.9 points, 5.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.4 three-point field goals made per game. It's a small sample size, especially considering he averaged just 9.2 minutes per game in 13 appearances with the Oklahoma City Thunder before he was traded to Charlotte.
The upside is certainly compelling with Mann, who's just 23 years of age, but the Lakers are building around 39-year-old LeBron James and 31-year-old Anthony Davis, and may not have time for such a risky deal.
Richards makes this more interesting, however, as a productive center with upside to explore at 26 years of age. This past season, he averaged 9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.6 offensive boards, and 1.1 blocks in 26.3 minutes per game.
Richards would provide an instant influx of depth at a position of need and offer a boost to the Lakers as they attempt to improve from ranking dead last in offensive rebounding in 2023-24.
The question that ties this trade together is simple: What would the Lakers do with those trade exceptions?
It's an interesting idea that would provide the Lakers with two young players who could provide immediate value. The trade would require Los Angeles to part with the superior point guard, however, while also giving up a first-round draft pick.
Considering the Lakers would likely need to give up yet another draft pick to pair with the exception in a future trade, it's simply too risky an endeavor to commit to.
Los Angeles parting with multiple first-round draft picks, or even one, should only happen if it's for a slam-dunk acquisition. In this scenario, the Lakers would be giving up an elite shooter and a first-rounder in the hope of seeing more from Mann and Richards than they've shown thus far.
It's an intriguing idea that seems to get the ball rolling in the right direction, but it's not yet a move the Lakers are adequately equipped to make.