This time last year, it was hard to imagine how the Los Angeles Lakers would recover from their disastrous trade for Russell Westbrook in 2021. But they managed to overcome that adversity with flying colors. Today, the Lakers, still led by the dynamic duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, have solid depth at every position, which the signing of Christian Wood in a bargain-bin deal further strengthened.
For now, the Lakers don’t need to add more to their roster, because they seem to have pieces that fit perfectly with LeBron and AD. They have solid outside shooters (Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, D’Angelo Russell), defensively-versatile wings (Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt), and some quality frontcourt depth (Wood, Jaxson Hayes).
But as the old saying goes, complacency is the enemy of progress. There is always a roster spot to improve in the pursuit of a championship, especially if the goal is to beat the reigning champion Denver Nuggets – a team ready to defend their title. So with the goal of further developing the roster in mind, here are two trades that the Lakers should pursue in the 2023-24 season.
(The Lakers don’t really need to pursue these trades as soon as possible. Of course, they need to evaluate how their current roster is doing and go from there.
Kuzma for D-Lo, Part II
The Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell, Cam Reddish, Maxwell Lewis, and two second-round picks to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma
It was a breath of fresh air for the Lakers when they re-acquired D’Angelo Russell last season in the Russell Westbrook trade. Russell is a quality floor-spacer, unlike Westbrook, and a better complement to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. At 6’4, Russell also has the size to catch bigger guards. But the 2023 playoffs are a disaster for Russell.
Russell had his fair share of tough shooting nights, and in the end, the Lakers decided to sit him out during their season on the line against the Denver Nuggets. His decision to try and get his shooting back after the losses became a meme. However, no one objected to the Lakers’ decision to keep him in town on a two-year, $36 million deal, because it was better for the team to keep him than lose him to nothing.
But with the signing of Gabe Vincent and the emergence of Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell’s skills may be surplus to requirements for the Lakers. With that in mind, maybe the Lakers decided to trade him for another familiar face in Kyle Kuzma.
Kuzma has long been rumored to want to return to the Lakers. But staying with the Wizards was the path he decided to follow so he could make as much money as he could. However, it makes no sense for the Wizards to stay in the dreaded middle of the league. Instead, they should be looking for draft assets and young prospects. Trading Kuzma would help in that regard.
Kyle Kuzma would then give the Lakers more wing size, another player who is relentless on the boards as well as someone who can compete against big wings. A lineup of Kuzma, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt could still survive in spurts.
With Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James handling the playmaking duties, with Kuzma also able to do so in a pinch, the Lakers would do well to get the Wizards forward in this deal. Alas, this trade could be too cheap for the Wizards’ liking.
Just bring back the old championship gang
The Lakers acquired Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls for Jalen Hood-Schifino, Taurean Prince, and a second-round pick
It is important to note that the Lakers are high on Jalen Hood-Schifino, the player they took with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Hood-Schifino projects to be a dynamite scoring presence at the guard positions, especially if he figures out his outside shooting problems. But the goal of the Lakers, as long as LeBron James is still on the roster, is to fight for the championship.
On that note, it might not be the worst idea for the Lakers to reacquire Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls, with Hood-Schifino heading to the Windy City instead. Caruso remains one of the best point of attack defenders in the league; Imagining a defense with Caruso and Jarred Vanderbilt should already suffocate opposing teams.
With the Bulls not going strong, it may be time for them to face the music soon, especially if they fall out of the playoff race like they did last season. Landing a young prospect with a few years left on his rookie deal for a player who is better off plying his trade for a contender isn’t a bad return.