San Antonio Spurs: Trade #1
While reports differ about whether the Los Angeles Lakers will actually trade Russell Westbrook and either of their future first-round picks, the Poeltl, Doug McDermott, and Richardson for Russell Westbrook deal may still be an option on the table. After all, the Lakers have played better as of late, even without Anthony Davis. That has given their playoff hopes a boost, and with LeBron James continuing to put pressure on the Lakers’ front office, they just might go all-in on a big trade to try and win now.
Swapping out Westbrook for a starter and two rotation players is a great return on investment for the Lakers, Better still, they could use bird rights to help bring back Poeltl and Richardson this summer, while McDermott is already under contract, meaning that all three could return next season.
That’s a good thing because Poeltl is one of the better centers in the NBA and would help bolster the Lakers’ defense. He’d also get a lot of second-chance points from his offensive rebounding and feast on pick-and-rolls with James. Meanwhile, both McDermott and Richardson would provide them with two knockdown shooters, something Los Angeles desperately needs.
Receiving those players would mean the Lakers mortgaging their future, however, by trading their 2027 and 2029 firsts (top-5 and top-10 protected). The Spurs aren’t going to trade three key rotation pieces to their long-time rivals out of the goodness of their hearts, after all, and will need a huge haul. Those two picks are valuable assets that the Spurs can keep and use when, hopefully, they are a playoff team again.
This trade would also ensure that the Spurs get more playing time for their younger players while increasing their chances of finishing with one of the three worst records in the NBA. That would give them a 14% chance of selecting Wembanyama first overall in this year’s draft, tying for the best odds in the draft lottery. This hypothetical trade could be huge for both teams, but it largely depends on what the Lakers decide leading up to the trade deadline.