NBA Rumors: LA Lakers could help facilitate Donovan Mitchell's move to Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls
The LA Lakers and Utah Jazz may engage in trade again this offseason. The first piece of business between the two teams saw Patrick Beverley return to LA, with Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson going to Salt Lake City.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Lakers could help the Jazz facilitate a trade that would see Donovan Mitchell join the New York Knicks. The Lakers could use their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks, along with Russell Westbrook's salary, to do so.
That could benefit all teams involved. The Lakers would move Westbrook's salary and secure contributing role players like Jordan Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanovic.
So @TheSteinLine also says there’s a “decent” chance the Lakers could get involved in a multi-team deal sending Donovan Mitchell elsewhere, and the Jazz “covet” the 2027 and 2029 Lakers firsts. Lots of ways that could shake out in the coming weeks. Here’s his full report today: twitter.com/thesteinline/s…
The Knicks would land Mitchell without unloading a bevy of draft picks. Meanwhile, the Jazz would get veteran contracts off their books while securing draft compensation per their expectations.
The New York Knicks haven't been able to match the Utah Jazz's asking price. They aren't willing to offload most of their eight tradeable first-round picks either. With Mitchell under contract for another two years, the Jazz have indicated that they won't settle for less.
Meanwhile, NBA rumors suggest that the Knicks want to move Mitchell before training camp. To get the price they want for him in a short time frame, engaging the Lakers in a three-team deal appears to be an ideal scenario.
REPORT: Utah Jazz are motivated to trade Donovan Mitchell before the training camp!
“It does sound as I talk to folks in the league that the Jazz are trying to apply the gas here. To try to juice the offer, especially juice the offer from the New York Knicks.” - Brian Windhorst https://t.co/QOFa2L7Twg
LA Lakers looking to bolster their roster in offseason
Before acquiring Patrick Beverley, the LA Lakers roster looked far from competitive compared to their Western Conference rivals. The Lakers seemed as if they were stuck with Russell Westbrook for another year.
It's evident that he has been a misfit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, so moving him is the only way forward. However, Westbrook's market value has dropped, which has proved to be a stumbling block for LA in their efforts to jettison him.
The Lakers' willingness to include their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks could help them improve drastically. If they secure the three-team trade with the Jazz and the Knicks, their rotation will see a massive upgrade with the possible additions of Clarkson and Bogdanovic. The Lakers lack depth, so the duo's arrival could bolster their chances of a deep playoff run.
James and Davis are still one of the best duos in the league when they're healthy. So surrounding them with impact role players would give the LA Lakers' title chances a huge fillip.