Lakers' next must-do trade after shipping D'Angelo Russell back to Nets
12/29/2024 01:53 PM
The Los Angeles Lakers have been viewed as one of the teams who is expected to be very active on the trade market after a very up-and-down start to the season that has seen them go on extended winning streaks followed by long losing streaks. Even though Anthony Davis is playing like an MVP and LeBron James still has his moments of greatness, the Lakers still have holes in their roster that they need to address.
Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office made one of those moves on Sunday morning when they sent D’Angelo Russell back to the Brooklyn Nets along with Maxwell Lewis and draft picks in exchange for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. Finney-Smith gives the Lakers a big wing who can make shots on the perimeter.
Finney-Smith fixes the Lakers’ biggest problem as a team. They have struggled to contain the ball on the perimeter defensively and are way too reliant own Davis to clean up their messes on that end. Finney-Smith is averaging just over 10 points per game this season but is shooting 43.5% from 3-point range on more than five attempts per game.
Even after this big deal, the Lakers may not be done trying to add to their roster. They could still be targeting some more quality rotation players from some of the deadline sellers around the league as the trade deadline approaches.
Lakers must target Walker Kessler on trade market
One of the primary names that the Lakers should be targeting on the trade market as the deadline gets closer is Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler. The Lakers have addressed their need for better defense on the wing, and now it’s time for them to add another big man inside to further bolster their presence in the paint.
The addition of Kessler would do a few things for the Lakers. First of all, it would allow JJ Redick to have a rim protector on the court at all times, as he could play Kessler during all of the minutes where Anthony Davis is on the bench. Kessler is averaging 2.8 blocks per game in just under 30 minutes a night, so he has established himself as one of the best shot blockers in the NBA.
Kessler and Davis could also play together. A supersized front court would give the Lakers a more similar look to the one they had when they won the NBA Finals in 2020. During that season, Davis spent a lot of time at the four during that season while Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee manned the paint, and the Lakers had the best defense in the league during that time. Having both of them on the floor at the same time would allow Davis to be more of a roamer, where he can use his length and instincts to be disruptive and create turnovers.
Kessler would hurt the Lakers’ spacing a little bit offensively, but the ability to play a lineup with three shooters and Davis, who can space the floor at least a little bit, should keep the floor open enough for them to operate effectively.
The Lakers have had one of the worst defenses in the NBA this season, largely due to their perimeter defense. The addition of Finney-Smith helps that out, but adding another proven rim protector next to Davis could make this team very hard to score against on the interior and help their defense rise up the rankings in the league.
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