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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and his son Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) enter the game together for the first time for Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (7).
As LeBron James made it abundantly clear that the Los Angeles Lakers, as currently constructed, do not have room for much error, there is a need to shake up the roster and their defensive makeup.
Bleacher Report’s salary cap expert Eric Pincus is pushing a complex, three-team idea that could help the Lakers’ defensive woes.
Pincus’ trade idea would give the Lakers a true center in Toronto Raptors’ Jakob Pöltl.
This move will slide Anthony Davis to his preferred power forward position, which worked during the Lakers championship run in 2020 as a weakside defender. They also get Davion Mitchell, known for his defense despite his size, and Dalano Banton, who can be a microwave scorer off the bench and a pest on defense.
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Jakob Pöltl (from Toronto Raptors), Davion Mitchell (from Raptors), Dalano Banton (from Portland Trail Blazers)
Toronto Raptors receive: Deandre Ayton (from Blazers), Duop Reath (from Blazers), Jabari Walker (from Blazers), Rui Hachimura (from Lakers), Cam Reddish (from Lakers), Jalen Hood-Schifino (from Lakers), 2029 top-8 protected first-rounder (from Lakers), 2025 second-rounder (higher of LA Clippers or Lakers, via Lakers), $21 million trade exception (Bruce Brown Jr.)
Portland Trail Blazers receive: Bruce Brown Jr. (from Raptors), Kelly Olynyk (from Raptors), Garrett Temple (from Raptors), Christian Wood (from Lakers), 2025 Trail Blazers second-rounder (from Raptors), 2028 Dallas Mavericks second-rounder (from Raptors), 2029 second-rounder (from Raptors), $2 million trade exception (Jabari Walker), $2 million trade exception (Duop Reath)
Pincus argued that the Lakers are “unlikely to improve without giving up first-round compensation,” so he added one of their two remaining first-round draft capital but with a top-eight protection.
“While they lose some offense in Hachimura, adding Pöltl and Mitchell can help offset what’s lost while changing the team’s defensive identity,” Pincus added.
Rui Hachimura ‘Has Become Expendable’
After dealing D’Angelo Russell in the Dorian Finney-Smith trade, Hachimura is the Lakers’ remaining player on the roster with the mid-tier salary ($17 million) as ballast in any potential trade with significance.
Finney-Smith’s arrival and Jarred Vanderbilt‘s impending return from injury clog the Lakers’ rotation with three players who play the same position and need minutes to be truly effective.
Pincus argued that “Hachimura has become expendable with the addition of Finney-Smith, a better defender with an outside shot. Hachimura’s primary value is scoring with a marginal defensive contribution.”
Since Finney-Smith’s arrival, Hachimura’s numbers dipped to 10.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.6 steals in 27.8 minutes from 12.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals in 33.4 minutes.
Vanderbilt will further eat up into Hachimura’s minutes when he returns.
Someone’s gotta give.
LeBron James Puts Pressure on Lakers Front Office
Following the Lakers’ 116-102 loss to their crosstown rivals Clippers in their new home arena, Intuit Dome, on Sunday, January 19, James took a jab at their front office when asked if there are ways internally how to make the margin for error smaller.
“Nah. That’s how our team is constructed,” James told reporters. “We don’t have room for error — for much error.”
The Lakers were non-competitive against the Clippers despite having six players, led by James’ 25 points, scoring in double figures. Clearly, it’s their defense, which is bottom seven in the league this season, that needs to improve.
Pincus’ trade idea might do the trick.