Part of the reason why the Los Angeles Lakers did not make a trade at the deadline this season was due to the fact that the team has potentially big plans for the upcoming summer. There were no trades that surfaced that made sense for LA, making it all the easier to focus on the future.
More doors will open for the Lakers over the summer as the team will be able to trade three unprotected draft picks in any deal. During the season, the Lakers could only trade one. As long as the New Orleans Pelicans choose to take the Lakers' pick in 2025 instead of 2024 (the reasonable choice), then Los Angeles will be able to trade its 2024, 2029 and 2031 first-round picks.
This war chest of picks has the Lakers circling some big names to target over the summer. The two all-star guards that have been directly tied to Los Angeles as a result are Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell and Atlanta's Trae Young.
Mitchell is the better of the two options and there has been more smoke around him being traded at some point by the Cavs. All that being said, it now seems unlikely that a Mitchell trade is at all possible, which is bad news for the Lake Show.
I predict Mitchell signs max extension with Cavs. But how things play out from here could have something to do with that. I’ve been told repeatedly he’s happy in Cleveland. https://t.co/3Gj18Clvdf
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) March 12, 2024
Lakers' Donovan Mitchell trade dreams may already be squashed
This directly goes against what the speculation has been around Mitchell and the Cavaliers thus far. While this does not completely rule out a trade, as things develop quickly in the NBA, it does make a trade seem far less likely than it seemed before.
If Mitchell does sign an extension with the Cavaliers then the Lakers are only going to have one real superstar splash to make this summer. Young might be a big name but he would be a far worse trade target than Mitchell, and would not be a great fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
As talented as Young is, his isolation style of play and the fact that he cannot defend do naturally limit him as a contributor. He is essentially a slightly better version of what D'Angelo Russell is doing right now for the Lakers. Is all of that worth selling the entire near future of the team? Probably not.
Keep in mind that if D'Lo opts out of his deal then a trade for Young would almost certainly have to include Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. If the Lakers end up trading those two, along with three first-round picks for Young, then it will end up looking a lot like the Russell Westbrook trade.
If Mitchell is on the table then it is a different story. But if Young is the only reasonable option for the Lakers then it is smart if the team just stays away and doesn't make a big trade over the summer.