The Lakers are 18-13 and have won 5 out of their last 6 games. Thus, on Sunday they made a trade with the Brooklyn Nets that landed them Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton for D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and 3 future 2nd round picks. It is a trade that makes them better so how does this look for Los Angeles the rest of the way.
Let’s start with the trade they made. Russell was not working in new coach JJ Redick’s system. He had been relegated to the bench averaging 12.4 points and 4.7 assists on shooting splits of .42/.33/.85. Those numbers are way down from the last season and a half he had played with the Lakers when he started 86 of 93 games played under Darvin Ham. The Lakers are clearly prioritizing defense with this deal with the addition of Finney-Smith, on the season the Lakers are 21st in defense, yet over the last 6 games they are 12th in defensive rating. These LeBron/AD Laker teams have always been built on their defense and they clearly want to get back to that with this trade. Finney-Smith will also help their three point shooting, he is shooting a career high 43.5% from beyond the arc this season and if that continues, he will help improve the Lakers three point shooting. I also like adding Milton as a depth guard, he has had a sneaky good season for the Nets this year.
This deal makes the Lakers better, I don’t think there will be anyone debating that. However, I don’t think it moves the needle in a major way. Finney-Smith is good and will help and Milton gives them more depth but the roster is still lacking in several key areas. Let’s start with the stars. How much longer can the Lakers rely on now 40-year-old LeBron James? James is having a solid season but below his typical standard, his 23.5 points per game is his lowest with the Lakers and his lowest since his rookie season. He is starting to slow down so the Lakers need other guys to step up and Anthony Davis is doing it. Davis is having a huge offensive season, averaging 26.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while averaging 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals per game on the other side of the court. Austin Reaves is also having a career season. Averaging a career high 17.7 points per game along with 5.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds, Reaves is in the midst of a career best season. His playmaking has been great and he has scored the ball at a very high level. His Christmas performance against the Warriors is a great example of this, a 26 point, 10 rebound and 10 assist triple-double and a game winner was a great indicator of what Reaves has been for Los Angeles so far this season. The Lakers roster has some good players but it has a lot of flaws and Finney-Smith helps them some. However, he does not change the outlook of the Lakers standing in the Western Conference.
If you asked me when I woke up Sunday morning (before the trade) if the Lakers could win the Western Conference, I would have told you no they can’t. If you asked me that same question when I went to bed Sunday night (after the trade) I would have told you no they can’t. The Lakers got better but that does not mean they can win the West. They just are not as good as the Thunder, Grizzlies, Rockets, Mavericks and Nuggets. While they do sit 5th in the conference entering Monday, they are only 2.5 games ahead of the Spurs for 10th. 18-13 is pretty good and they are headed in the right direction but this still is not a team that can compete with what the best of the West has to offer. Thus, Rob Pelinka and the rest of the Lakers upper management have to ask themselves this; is this team worth making a big move for?
I am not sure it is but I do think that there is another deal the Lakers can make. Jimmy Butler will be a name floated around but I am not sure there is a deal to be made. I think Miami would want Austin Reaves in any deal and I don’t think L.A. should be doing that. I am also not prepared to talk about any De’Aaron Fox trade nor do I think the Lakers could ever make a Fox trade. However, there are other players on the market. The Lakers have been very interested in Jonas Valanciunas, who the Wizards are actively shopping around the league. They also could make a big trade with the Blazers to acquire Jerami Grant and Robert Williams III. They could get Grant, Rob Will and Dalano Banton from Portland for Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2030 top 10 protected first round pick. Losing Rui would hurt but shedding Vanderbilt and Vincent’s deals along with adding Grant and Williams (not to mention Banton who is a very solid player) makes this deal worth it for the Lakers. While this is a big trade it is not the blockbuster deal that would send waves through the league but it is one that could really make the Lakers better in a crowded Western Conference.
The Los Angeles Lakers made a trade on Sunday that makes them better but the question is how much better did they get. This is a good team that will likely make the playoffs but I am not sure they can win a series and would be stunned if they won multiple.
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