The NBA regular season, much like life, is a highway (if you believe Rascal Flats). While some travelers may find their journey to Larry O'Brien City comfortable and straightforward, not all road trips are created equal. The Lakers would certainly love a repair job right about now.
Despite riding with well-seasoned passengers the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, terms like "comfortable," "smooth," and "non-infuriating" would not well pinpoint the state of Los Angeles Laker basketball in the 2024-25 season. Try "stagnant," "confounding," or "inexplicably torturous.".
Go ahead, whip out your pocket thesaurus, and find the vocabulary most applicable to your perception. Take all the time you need—I'll be right here.
JJ Redick's squad currently sits at 22-17 and 6th in the Western Conference—outside of the play-in cutoff directly beneath them. Within danger's reach. Head in the tiger's mouth, and for nutritional reasons more than dental.
Los Angeles has been comfortable staying uncomfortable since the COVID-altered 2020 championship campaign, but with LeBron finally rounding the corner of 40 years old (and Bronny having already breached the NBA threshold), this won't last much longer.
Time mercilessly slips. Tick... Tick... Tick... With every passing season, LA's need for a franchise rejuvenation becomes more undeniable. A few coaching changes couldn't move the needle, from proven NBA mainstay Frank Vogel to NBA Cup legend Darvin Ham, finally settling on rookie play-caller JJ Redick.
A great basketball mind, no doubt, but take a look at the standings once more. Welcome back to the bottom half of playoff eligibility. Not ideal.
Perhaps the time has come for an all-out swing. A pinch hitter capable of delivering your storied franchise back to the promised land. A shining star for the future of Los Angeles hoops. A ferryman capable of passing LeBron through the twilight of his career and turning around to lead a prosperous future.
...Any ideas?
A Jimmy Butler trade should be out of the question, Zach Lavine could be an attractive option, but I've got an option for a superstar who's moments away from breaking through.
Bold Lakers mock trade with Hornets lands them LaMelo Ball.
How does a blossoming superstar with 5 years remaining sound for an usher into the next era of Laker hoops feel?
Thanks to his small-market home, LaMelo Ball's development has been underrated since his draft selection landed him in Charlotte. Tallying 29.5 points, 7.5 assists, and 5.3 rebounds this year, Ball is the type of point guard that screams Hollywood.
Flashy passing, long-range 3-balls, and swag oozing from every facet of his game, Melo took the world by storm thanks to his audacious high school mixtapes, his dramatically marketable family, and now as a bonafide star at the highest level of basketball.
LA won't be able to come away with a 23-year-old All-Star point guard without coughing up some valuable assets of their own. A proposed a package of Hachimura, Vincent, and Vanderbilt to work for the NBA's salary requirements—each player brings varying value but is replaceable. Those players alone won't make the trade possible, however, and that's where the draft capital comes in.
Los Angeles is already hemorrhaging their own draft future to maintain the status quo of playoff contention, so coughing up another 1st and a fistful of 2nd-rounders should bring the Lakers much pause if LaMelo Ball is the return. Charlotte, much like Utah, banks on the idea that Los Angeles has imploded by the 2028-29 season, handing the Hornets a prime drafting position.
Should the Hornets kick the can down the road further? Who knows, but even with Ball, Charlotte remains a non-factor in the already weaker Eastern Conference and likely doesn't gain relevancy with LaMelo alone.
For Los Angeles, this could be the move that adds coal to the engine and possibly even a championship with a 3-star starting lineup paired with James and Davis. If the Lakers value their franchise future, a move like this must be considered.