A safe trade that could greatly help the Lakers

A few days ago, the Los Angeles Lakers made their first significant trade since the Russell Westbrook deal, trading Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks for Rui Hachimura. So of course, people were quick to react, and most from Los Angeles’ side were pleased. Now the question on everyone’s mind is what they’ll do next. I came up with a realistic deal that I think could put the Lakers in the conversation to win the title while keeping their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks, which it seems like the front office wants to do. Here is the trade and how it would benefit each team involved.

Lakers: building the present without hurting the future

The Lakers’ front office has made it clear they’ll only give up their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks if they land a star in return, and it doesn’t look like any will be available at this upcoming trade deadline. Los Angeles still has a responsibility to build the best roster they can around Lebron James though, who’s somehow averaging 30 points in his age-38 season. This deal would accomplish that without compromising their future.

Rozier is averaging 21 points per game for Charlotte. It may be a bit inflated of a number but he’s still proven to be a capable scorer on and off the ball throughout his career. He would fit well as a complementary scorer and playmaker for the Lakers.

Oubre and Richardson are both solid two-way wings with playoff experience and could provide a spark plug on both ends for the Lakers. Oubre has been more impactful on offense this year than ever before, averaging 20 points per game for Charlotte. He looks good on defense at times while at other times looking disengaged. But playing for a contending team with the Lakers should encourage him to put in more effort on that side of the floor. Richardson doesn’t have the same shot-creating ability as Oubre, but he’s much more efficient shooting 45% from the field and 36% from three while playing solid defense as well.

Finally, McDermott and Plumlee would finish the roster, filling two critical needs for Los Angeles. In McDermott’s case, he would provide some much-needed outside shooting as the Lakers rank 26th in the league in three-point percentage, and he has shot 42% from three on the season. Plumlee would get them a backup center with playoff experience, unlike their current backup, Damian Jones.

Spurs: developing team players

The Spurs currently rank 14th in the Western Conference with a 14-33 record. And with multiple veteran players on the roster, it’s safe to assume they’ll be sellers at the trade deadline. Beverley would likely have no value to San Antonio and would be rerouted shortly after the deal. Washington, on the other hand, would be a great piece to add to their young core.

I think the Spurs would be a good destination for Washington. Not only for the obvious reason of San Antonio having some of the best player development in the league but also because of how Washington would fit into their team-oriented style of play. It seems he’s tried to take on a larger role as a primary option for Charlotte this year and just isn’t designed to play that way, which has led to a lot of inconsistency in his performance.

Hornets: making money moves

Marc Stein reports that Charlotte is another team that’s expected to be a seller at the trade deadline. With the league’s third-worst record at 13-36, that’s a pretty logical approach.

If the Hornets really do sell at the deadline, Oubre and Rozier are almost guaranteed to be gone. It may take moving Oubre in the same deal as Rozier to move Rozier’s 4-year $96 million contract though, which they’d accomplish in this deal.

The more disputable part of this trade for Charlotte is moving P.J. Washington, who is arguably their most promising player outside of Lamelo Ball. He’s averaging a career-high 15 points per game, albeit with lower efficiency than usual. Still, he’s a valuable young player. So why move him?

Well, the simple answer is money. Washington will become a restricted free agent this summer and it’s possible he’ll get a deal in the $18-$20 million range which Charlotte may not want to pay him, considering they’ll most likely be a lottery team for the next couple of seasons and they’d probably rather not have a high payroll as a losing team. Getting back a solid young player in Lonnie Walker along with three picks would be an even stronger incentive to move Washington.

This trade isn’t the flashy star pickup that Los Angeles looked to make when they acquired Russell Westbrook. If anything, that deal should prove that pursuing a third star, in the Lakers’ case or not, is not the best path to contention. The best teams are the ones filled with depth and players who can all play significant minutes in playoff games. Looking back, this has been the case with all recent championship teams dating back to the 2014 Spurs. This trade doesn’t necessarily make the Lakers favorites in the West, and it would still leave them with some weaknesses. But it at least gives them the pieces they need around Lebron and Anthony Davis to have a chance at a finals run, and if it doesn’t work out, it still leaves them with options moving forward.