3 players LA Lakers should trade for in the 2021 NBA offseason
Rob Pelinka is looking to retool the LA Lakers for a run at the NBA championship next season, and the summer could result in some pretty interesting trades.
Pelinka, the Lakers’ vice president of basketball operations and general manager, has said that their front office has been empowered to "smartly build a roster to win championships."
This means a lot of careful planning and shrewdness when it comes to making trades, re-signing and signing free agents.
The LA Lakers can and will spend money, but unless they build with an understanding of their identity and culture, all that spending will be for nothing.
Where the current LA Lakers roster stands financially
The LA Lakers have six players under contract for next season, namely LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Marc Gasol, and Alfonzo McKinnie.
Including the No. 22 pick and dead salary (Luol Deng), they have already exceeded the projected $112.4 million cap for next season, according to Sam Quinn of CBS Sports.
"That doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing," Quinn said.
"Yes, it will prevent them from acquiring players via sign-and-trade, as that also triggers a hard-cap, but the taxpayer mid-level exception would still give the Lakers meaningful spending power."
This means sign-and-trade deals will be nearly impossible this offseason for the LA Lakers as it limits their flexibility in reshaping the roster. They will have to get extra creative in case they want to go that route.
Still, the LA Lakers will look for potential trades that will give them the best opportunity to retake the title next season. If Montrezl Harrell opts in on the second year of his deal, he could be dealt to another team that will showcase what he can do.
Let’s take a look at three trades that the LA Lakers should try to work out in the 2021 NBA offseason:
3. LA Lakers receive: G/F Terrence Ross
Orlando Magic receive: C Montrezl Harrell; second-round pick
Terrence Ross averaged a career-high 15.6 points per game last season on a tanking Orlando Magic squad. His three-point shooting dipped quite a bit last season, but that could be attributed to the fact that the Magic didn’t have enough scoring threats except for him.
The 30-year-old would be an excellent kick-out option for James and Davis, and he’s capable of creating his own shot.
In return, the Magic receive Harrell, who will have the playing time he’s looking for after receiving a few DNP-CDs on the LA Lakers this past season. But he’s likely to be traded for more assets by Orlando later on, anyway.