Is There a Way to Trade for a Player Even if They Cant Be Traded Again for 60 Days

Lakers trade guide: Possible deals, in-season moves Rob Pelinka can make to boost LeBron'due south championship hopes

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The all-in nature of most LeBron James teams oftentimes forces his forepart offices to make big swings at the trade deadline when the initial roster isn't working. Information technology happened in 2008 when the Cleveland Cavaliers landed Wally Szczerbiak, Ben Wallace and Delonte Westward. It happened in 2015 when they nabbed Timofey Mozgov, JR Smith and Iman Shumpert. Information technology happened in 2018 when they practically dealt the entire roster for one last run at a title with James. Patience is non a virtue he affords his GMs. That's especially true as he approaches his 37th birthday.

But the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers face far more than difficult circumstances than any of those teams did. They cashed in most of their trade chips in the offseason when they landed Russell Westbrook. The bulk of their draft capital went to acquiring Anthony Davis in 2019. At 12-11 it would exist hard non to exist disappointed by the way the Lakers have started the season, but given the inevitable constraints that came with the fashion they built the team, there just aren't that many means for them to better like LeBron'due south previous rosters take.

That doesn't hateful it's hopeless, though. It's going to take some creativity and luck, just there are however moves on the tabular array for GM Rob Pelinka and this front office. Beneath is an in-depth guide to all of the possible trades, buyout additions and other moves the Lakers could potentially make between now and the postseason.

Important dates

Here is a brief list of the important roster-building dates the Lakers will face this season:

  • Dec. 15, 2021: Ten of the eleven costless agents the Lakers signed this offseason get eligible for trades. Those players are DeAndre Jordan, Rajon Rondo, Carmelo Anthony, Wayne Ellington, Trevor Ariza, Malik Monk, Kent Bazemore, Dwight Howard, Austin Reaves and Kendrick Nunn. The Lakers play their 29th game on this date.
  • Dec. 17, 2021: Avery Bradley becomes eligible for a trade as lx days take passed since he was claimed off waivers. The Lakers play their 30th game on this engagement.
  • January. 7, 2022: Bradley'south contract becomes guaranteed for the flavour. If he is waived earlier this point, the Lakers tin get out of the residue of his deal. The Lakers play their 40th game on this appointment.
  • Jan. 15, 2022: Talen Horton-Tucker becomes merchandise-eligible. His date is different from the other free agents the Lakers signed this offseason because he was a costless agent with Bird Rights that is making more than the minimum and received a raise greater than 20 pct. The Lakers play their 43rd game on this appointment.
  • Feb. 10, 2022: The NBA merchandise deadline arrives. The Lakers will have played 56 games by this date.
  • March 1, 2022: Any buyout candidate who wishes to be eligible for the playoffs with a new squad must exist waived past his erstwhile squad past this date. The Lakers play their 61st game on this date.

Needs

It should surprise no ane to hear that a squad that employs 10 minimum-salary players has a number of needs. Two of them stand up out as critical for this team'southward championship hopes, while three more than should be addressed if possible. We'll start with the virtually pressing concerns and work our mode downwards.

Point of attack defense

To brand information technology through the Western Conference, the Lakers will virtually certainly accept to beat either Stephen Curry or Devin Booker, if not both. Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell and Ja Morant may also stand in their mode in the early rounds, and if they do achieve the Finals, in that location'southward a expert chance James Harden and mayhap Kyrie Irving will be waiting for them. This wouldn't take been a problem for the Alex Caruso-Kentavious Caldwell-Pope backcourt of yesteryear, but it's going to be the unmarried-biggest obstacle to a 2022 championship for the Lakers.

The Lakers allow the fifth-most points (24.iii) and the fourth-most assists (9.1) per game to opposing betoken guards in all of basketball game, according to FanDuel. Basketball-Index categorizes 5 Lakers every bit primarily point-of-set on defenders: Horton-Tucker, Rondo, Bazemore, Ellington and Bradley, and most defensive metrics loathe the lot of them. All five take negative Defensive Box Plus-Minus ratings and FiveThirtyEight'southward Defensive RAPTOR only rates Bazemore as a positive.

The eye exam tells a similar story. Horton-Tucker was supposed to be the Lakers' stopper this season, but he'south still a novice when it comes to navigating screens. Bradley has fallen off a cliff since his stellar 2019-20 regular flavor, and fifty-fifty if he can pressure the ball, he'south a virtually not-existent help-defender. Austin Reaves has shown some potential, but he simply isn't bulky plenty to keep the best guards away from the basket.

There is some internal upside here. Maybe Horton-Tucker, who'southward played merely 81 NBA games to appointment, grows as the season moves on. Perchance Bazemore, who was an offensive liability earlier in the season, tin can find his shot when he gets his next chance in the rotation. A younger LeBron was the ultimate trump card hither, equally Jamal Murray learned in 2020, and he might need to save them again late in games. But realistically, if the Lakers don't either acquire or manufacture ameliorate signal-of-attack defense, they are not going to win the championship. The double-barreled rim protection that came with their bigger lineups of the past two seasons might have been able to overcome poor work on the perimeter, just with Davis as the lone rim protector, penetrating guards have completely punctured the Lakers defense this flavour. It's why they're allowing the second-most points in the paint per game (fifty) in the NBA this flavour.

Frontwards depth

If we assume that the Lakers are going to utilize Davis near exclusively as a center in the postseason, that leaves only three forrard on the entire roster. All 3 of them -- James, Anthony and Ariza -- are 36 or older. History suggests that Anthony is going to get switch-hunted off the floor in the playoffs. Ariza hasn't fifty-fifty played this flavor. The Lakers are designed to play guard-heavy lineups, only non even James and Davis tin be everywhere at one time. Cumulative size is essential to help defense, and when teams start forcing bad switches, such pocket-size groups allow also much matchup vulnerability.

A multi-positional forrad that tin defend in the Kyle Kuzma mold would be extremely valuable on this roster. The trouble is that such players are extremely valuable on every roster. That's why they're so hard to get, and it'due south why the Lakers, who largely wielded only the minimum in costless bureau, have and then few of them. If the Lakers become big-game hunting at the deadline, this is probably the slot that they target.

A small-scale-brawl v not named LeBron

No lineup archetype has been more than successful for the Lakers this season than LeBron at eye. They've played 32 minutes in that alignment and won them past 19 points, but there are two reasons they can't afford to overuse information technology. The first is more than of a regular-season concern. They don't want to wear James out. The second is more troubling in the postseason. One of the primary benefits of going so small is that information technology spaces the floor more for Russell Westbrook, but if Westbrook needs to be attached to James in bench lineups, that deprives Davis' bench groups of a primary ball-handler. The Lakers would probably adopt to either pair Westbrook with Davis when James rests or discover him a different floor-spacing big so that James can support the demote lineups Davis plays in. If they settle on the latter, the James-Davis pick-and-ringlet should devastate opposing reserves. This would be an added benefit of making a major trade for a 2-manner forward. Acquiring someone who could play power forward with the starters and heart off the demote would become a long fashion in solving these bug.

Shooting from a somewhat reliable defender

Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk and Wayne Ellington are the only Lakers making fifty-fifty 35 percent of their 3-pointers on real volume this season. All 3 are going to go picked on defensively in the playoffs. Every team needs 3-and-D help, merely the Lakers especially should be scouring the league for a competent defender that can brand 3s, because right at present, most of their wings tin can merely exercise one or the other.

Auxiliary rebounding

The Lakers tin't really prioritize rebounding with Davis at middle, but their disability to pull in boards has killed them all year. They currently rank 21st in rebounding rate and dead-last in box-out rate, and that's severely limiting the transition opportunities they demand to live on offensively with Westbrook on the floor. Again, with Davis at center, there isn't an obvious way to inject more rebounding into most Lakers lineups, but if they tin find a guard or forward who does information technology well, that would be a dainty bonus.

Tradable salary

The corporeality of salary a team tin absorb in a merchandise typically depends on the overall scale of the deal, but matters are significantly simplified for the Lakers because they are paying the luxury revenue enhancement. Whatsoever team higher up the revenue enhancement line can blot no more than than 125 percent of the bacon they send out in a merchandise, plus $100,000. If nosotros operate under the assumption that James, Davis and Westbrook are not going to exist traded, that leaves the Lakers with very trivial flexibility to brand a significant deal because just two of their remaining 12 players make more than the minimum. Here is the functional matching salary that they currently accept to piece of work with:

  • Talen Horton-Tucker makes $ix,500,000.
  • Kendrick Nunn makes $five,000,000.
  • Nine of the 10 minimum-salary players on the team count for the same amount under the cap: $ane,669,178. All 9 of those players earn more actual cash, only a role player'south minimum salary depends on how much NBA experience he has, and since the league doesn't want teams shunning older players in favor of younger, cheaper ones, it reimburses teams for the divergence between their actual salary and the minimum salary of a 2nd-year player, which is the figure in a higher place. Therefore, for cap and revenue enhancement purposes, that is what they price.
  • Austin Reaves is the lone exception in the minimum group. As an undrafted rookie, his cap effigy is his actual salary, which is only $925,258.

Just to cover our bases, there is i unlikely mode in which the Lakers could scrounge upwards a bit more tradable salary. When they traded Marc Gasol to Memphis during the offseason, they didn't receive any salary in return. They therefore created a merchandise exception worth his $two,692,991 salary which they tin utilize to absorb any player making that much or less.

They would take to become rid of a player (likely by waiving the non-guaranteed Bradley) to clear a roster spot for this tactic to work, simply more importantly, they would need to human activity quickly. While teams are complimentary to deal players immediately afterwards trading for them, they can only aggregate their salaries within multi-role player trades if they await sixty days later acquiring them. That ways that if the Lakers are going to utilise this tactic to add together a $ii.vii million player for the purposes of eventually trading him, they'd have to do and so no later than December. 11, lx days before the deadline. That date is rapidly approaching, so this selection will soon be removed from the table.

Allow'southward say that the Lakers don't apply the Gasol exception in this way. Here is how much bacon they tin can absorb if they deal out the following combinations of players:

Lakers players Nada minimums 1 minimum Two minimums Three minimums 4 minimums

Kendrick Nunn

$6,350,000

$8,436,471

$10,522,944

$12,609,416

$xiv,605,890

Talen Horton-Tucker

$eleven,975,000

$14,061,472

$16,147,945

$18,234,417

$20,320,890

Nunn and Horton-Tucker

$18,225,000

$20,311,472

$22,397,945

$24,484,417

$26,570,890

Neither Nunn nor Horton-Tucker

$0

$2,186,472

$4,272,945

$6,359,417

$8,445,890

Before you become concocting trades involving $26 million players, recall that roster size constraints make such deals extremely difficult. In that location's a reason 5-for-one and six-for-ane trades happen almost exclusively in the offseason: rosters tin can agree up to 20 players at that signal. In-flavour, the limit is 15, and very few teams accept fewer than that. Right now, there are only six open roster spots in the NBA: one each from the Jazz, Heat, Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, Raptors and Suns. Many of those teams left that slot open because of tax or difficult cap constraints, and with four of them in the Western Briefing, it's non a group that'south going to be peculiarly eager to help the Lakers. To make an unbalanced trade, they're either going to have to entice the other team into waiving a few players at the back of their roster or pay off one of these teams to take someone in.

Finally, we have to acknowledge the real-world financial bear upon of a major merchandise. The Lakers permit Alex Caruso go in big part because of the obscene revenue enhancement bill retaining him would accept generated. Those tax concerns haven't gone away. Correct now, the Lakers are hovering around $202.5 1000000 in salary plus taxation payments, and because the tax gets more castigating the deeper in a team goes, a merchandise could get very pricey very quickly. Retrieve, if the Lakers do make an unbalanced trade, they'll have to sign new players to replace the ones they dealt only to get to the 14-player roster minimum. That'south going to cost money as well. The betoken is that Pelinka is going to have to sell the Buss family on breaking the bank if he plans to make a large trade. It won't be inexpensive.

Assets

We can say with relative certainty that James and Davis aren't going anywhere, and despite the pleas of a minor simply song corner of Lakers Twitter, Westbrook isn't either. That leaves 12 players who fall into a few different groups.

Hashemite kingdom of jordan, Rondo, Bradley and Bazemore have been the disappointing minimum-bacon players. If the Lakers need to include a few minimums in a deal to match salary, they'd likely prefer someone out of this group. Anthony, Monk, Ariza, Howard and Reaves are the minimums they'd probably adopt to retain. All five have either played well or theoretically fill necessary roles in the postseason rotation. Reaves probably holds the most merchandise value of the group considering of his youth and the team control that comes with information technology (as he has a squad option for next season and would but exist a restricted gratuitous agent in 2023). Monk might hold some appeal to certain teams interested in re-signing him this summer likewise, though his express Bird Rights make that a tough sell. Ultimately, these players are probably more than valuable to the Lakers than anyone else.

The aforementioned can't be said of Nunn. The Lakers overcorrected this offseason subsequently spending the past two seasons with bench units devoid of brawl-treatment. With Westbrook in the starting lineup and Monk and Horton-Tucker on the roster, a fifth high-usage scorer is redundant. ESPN's Dave McMenamin recently said on "The Lowe Post" that Nunn is "not close" to returning from the bone bruise that has kept him out all season, and the lack of substantive updates from the squad supports that. Fifty-fifty if Nunn was playing, the reality of this roster is that he'south i of but two non-minimum or maximum salaries here and the other has essentially more political capital within the organization. That makes Nunn the likeliest trade piece on the roster. If they desire to make a deal, they're probably going to need his salary to exercise so.

Prying Horton-Tucker away is going to be much harder for other teams. The Raptors couldn't become him with Kyle Lowry as the allurement in March, and if the Lakers all the same agree Horton-Tucker in the same regard, they just aren't going to move him. There virtually certainly isn't a Lowry-level role player available to them this season, and if the Lakers actually see him as a bridge to the future, they're probably going to be reluctant to include him in a deal for anyone they'd perceive as a role player fifty-fifty if that role thespian substantially increases their title equity.

Of course, plenty can change in a yr. Past the 2021 trade deadline, Horton-Tucker had played in only 45 games. Barring injury, he'll accept more doubled that past the 2022 deadline. That's more record for the Lakers to evaluate and more of a sample on which to judge his jump shot. There's also the desperation factor. The Lakers didn't need to trade him concluding flavour. They started the flavour 21-6 and had genuine reason to believe that they would exist the title favorites once they got salubrious. That aforementioned conventionalities might not exist this season, and if information technology does, it might be dependent on separating Westbrook and Horton-Tucker as two severely limited shooters.

Lineups featuring the pair of them with James have scored a scant 101.1 points per 100 possessions this season, and in that location'southward non much evidence suggesting he can be the lone ball-handler on the floor, either. When Horton-Tucker'south played without both James and Westbrook, the Lakers accept scored a disastrous 84.4 points per 100 possessions. His long-term upside is substantial, merely if he limits James and Westbrook when they're together and tin't survive when they're autonomously, it'south merely hard to imagine him playing a big role in the optimal version of this team. If they come to believe that is the example, Horton-Tucker might be more than bachelor this year than he was last, but it would probably take a genuine difference-maker to get him.

In improver to players, the Lakers take the following draft picks to offer:

  • Start-round picks: 2027 (or) 2028
  • Get-go-round swaps: 2023, 2026
  • 2d-round picks: 2023, 2025, 2027, 2028, 2023 via Chicago, 2028 via Washington, 2024 via Washington or Memphis (whichever is less favorable)

The Lakers own their ain picks in 2023 and 2026, and they will ultimately retain either their 2024 or 2025 first-rounder, but they are severely limited in the beginning-round picks they can trade because of the Stepien Rule, which dictates that teams cannot be without kickoff-round selections in consecutive years. The fact the Lakers don't have a pick in 2022 means that they can't ship out their pick in 2023, and the fact they might not have ane in 2025 locks their 2026 pick out of trades. If the Lakers desire to gain the correct to trade their 2026 pick along with their 2028 selection, they would have to offer the Pelicans something to get them to waive their right to defer the 2024 pick the Lakers currently owe them into 2025. The Stepien Rule only dictates that teams must have a beginning-round pick every other flavor, simply information technology doesn't need to be their own, so the Lakers can offer bandy rights on their 2023 and 2026 picks.

Finally, NBA teams are allowed to send $five,785,000 in cash out in trades per season. The Lakers accept used only $250,000 thus far this league twelvemonth (in the Gasol trade). That leaves $five,535,000 in tradable cash, a not trivial figure if you assume the Lakers are going to need someone to take on minimum players to make an unbalanced trade. Teams frequently pay the cash residual of a player's salary when they need to make such roster-clearing moves. Given the concerns that toll the Lakers Caruso, it's no given that they're willing to spend this cash.

Merchandise targets

We'll dissever possible trade targets according to how likely they are to be available. Nosotros don't know if the Lakers take enough assets to country every role player on this list or if they'd fifty-fifty be willing to give up enough to practise so, but given their needs and constraints forth with the likely landscape around the league, these are some names that could possibly come up between now and the deadline. Every thespian listed below fits into one of the salary boxes in the table below, though some, given their expensive contracts, are going to be pricier than others.

Probably not available

  • Fred VanVleet: The absolute perfect hypothetical addition to the Lakers. He has a strong track tape defending Curry, is an fantabulous 3-point shooter and tin can provide real brawl-handling juice off the bench. That's why the Raptors aren't going to merchandise him. He's having a career year and is only 27, and then there's no real need to requite him upwards. Nevertheless, given Toronto's sub-.500 record and their interest in Horton-Tucker last season, information technology'southward worth a telephone call.
  • Jerami Grant: He defended James well in the 2020 playoffs and has had stretches of strong shooting, but he's inconsistent from deep. Given the probable cost of landing him, the Lakers would probably prefer a steadier shooter, and Grant would probably make sense on a team in keen need of his one-on-ane scoring.
  • Harrison Barnes: A ameliorate fit than Grant given his reliable shooting and bulk as a possible small-ball eye, but the Kings turned down a lot at the 2021 deadline. They'd have to be committed to rebuilding, and extending their playoff-less streak, to seriously consider moving him.
  • Dillon Brooks: Another "why would they trade him?" name that'due south worth a phone call after reports this offseason suggested the Grizzlies were open to a bargain. Brooks is a stellar on-ball defender who typically shoots at roughly a league-boilerplate level, though his ball-stopping would exist frustrating on a team with iii stars.
  • Myles Turner: An outside-the-box arroyo that would give the Lakers unprecedented rim protection and some other shooter. The Pacers have been interested in the past, but even they're finally open to splitting up their center tandem at present, they'd likely get ameliorate offers than the Lakers could muster.
  • Derrick White: The Spurs never trade, and when they practise, it'due south not in-season. Still, they accept a surplus of young guards and White overlaps a fair bit with Dejounte Murray, who'south growing into a cornerstone for them this flavor. White'south defense would be extremely helpful in Los Angeles, but he'south stagnated every bit a shooter.

Possibly available

  • Robert Covington: Fully depends on a Blazers blowup that doesn't appear imminent. He's worked well as a minor-ball five next to Westbrook before, but he'south more of a help-defender than a man-to-man stopper. The Lakers need the latter more than the old.
  • Buddy Hield: We know the Lakers were interested a few months agone, and not much has happened that should have changed Sacramento's desire to motion him. It would essentially corporeality to waving a white flag defensively, but the offensive upside of pairing him with the three incumbent stars would be enormous.
  • Cam Reddish: He's represented by Klutch and the Hawks shopped him before the typhoon. Horton-Tucker has an actress twelvemonth of team control and Trae Young'south gravity would mask his weaknesses well. The Lakers could retain an upside prospect, just get ane that makes more sense on their current roster as a frontwards.
  • T.J. Warren: A home-run swing. The 2019-20 version of Warren was a stout defender and stellar shooter that could create his own looks and part aslope higher-usage teammates. He'due south hardly played since. The Pacers would probably be open to moving his expiring contract rather than paying him, simply giving up enough to country him given his injuries would exist an enormous take chances.
  • Larry Nance Jr.: Falls into the "if Portland triggers a rebuild" category. He's played with James and he's played for the Lakers, but his defense and short-roll playmaking are the master attractions hither.
  • Kyle Anderson: Having a disappointing contract year and the Grizzlies have proven willing to merchandise veterans in the name of their future. His defense force from concluding season would be very welcome, simply he'south regressed this season and he'due south never made 3's at a consistently high volume.
  • Josh Hart: Some other former Laker who brings a bit of defense, a flake of shooting and a fleck of ball-handling. He'due south young enough for the Pelicans to want to continue despite their struggles, simply he can striking gratis agency as before long as 2023 at a position in which the Pelicans have a fair chip of young talent.

Nigh likely bachelor

  • Justin Holiday: Not as achieved equally large brother Jrue, but he's a strong defender who has improved significantly every bit a shooter with the Pacers. He could probably be had for a reasonable price if the Pacers turn into sellers.
  • Torrey Craig: Another defender from Indiana, only his shooting makes him less desirable than Holiday fifty-fifty if his size gives him more versatility.
  • Terrence Ross: Just proficient enough on defense to avoid the sort of breathy hunting that'south probably waiting for the current Lakers shooters in the playoffs, but he's struggling mightily on criminal offense this season. Considering Orlando's desire to play its youngsters, there might even be some buyout potential if his play doesn't meliorate. He hasn't started a unmarried game this season.
  • Thaddeus Young:Very available, has experience playing minor-ball 5 and can defend at a championship level, just the Lakers might not be able to beget his poor shooting. He's never played with playmakers like James and Westbrook, though, then it might be a worthwhile roll of the dice.
  • Garrett Temple: Has declined with historic period, only has been a steadily playable iii-and-D player for years and is dearest in every locker room he'due south been a part of.
  • Maurice Harkless: Falls in the Craig category of strong defenders who struggle to brand shots. Another possible buyout candidate.
  • Danuel House Jr.: You can never take too many inexpensive shooters, but he hasn't matched his strong 2018-19 grade over the by three years.

Buyout targets and electric current free agents

Buyout targets tend to fall into one of two categories. They're either veterans on bad teams who have expiring contracts, or they're players with big contracts that existing teams use as salary filler in other deals. We'll cover players in both situations here also equally those who are already available on the open market place. For the Lakers to sign anyone on this list, they would accept to articulate a roster spot by either waiving or trading at least one player currently on the roster.

  • Kevin Love: Fabricated sense at i bespeak considering his rebounding and shooting, but he was reportedly unwilling to accept a buyout before the flavour and the odds have merely decreased now that Cleveland is winning. It would have been an interesting fit as he played with Westbrook in college and James in the NBA, but he's probably non going to be available.
  • Gary Harris: Was once ane of the NBA'south ameliorate iii-and-D players. The three regressed long ago and his defence is starting to likewise, but he's only 27, so he might be able to turn things effectually in the right setting.
  • Goran Dragic: Dallas is almost certainly landing him if he gets bought out considering his friendship with Luka Doncic, but if the Lakers have to requite up multiple demote ball-handlers in a trade, Dragic could assistance replenish their supply if he'south interested.
  • Tristan Thompson: Would certainly be an comeback on DeAndre Jordan, but in that location just aren't many traditional center minutes available hither.
  • Robin Lopez: Lopez is in the same situation as Thompson, but lacks his experience alongside James.
  • Marvin Bagley III: He'south worked his mode back into the rotation in Sacramento, so a buyout doesn't seem likely, merely they couldn't find a trade and he'southward probably not staying there as a costless agent this offseason. He all the same has plenty of offensive upside.
  • Tomas Satoransky: Probably not a steady enough shooter to go real minutes for the Lakers, merely loftier-IQ ball-handlers are e'er useful for the regular flavour at least.
  • James Ennis: Wants to exist a Laker and is still unsigned. Somewhen, someone is going to need fly defence enough to add him despite his inconsistent shooting.
  • Wesley Matthews: Information technology'southward not fully clear why he hasn't signed with anyone nonetheless even considering the somewhat disappointing year he just had for the Lakers. Can all the same help as a iii-and-D wing.
  • Darren Collison: Was in one case a stellar shooter who defended guards at a decent enough level. The Lakers worked him out this offseason, but there's no telling how well he tin play after more than 2 years off.

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Source: https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lakers-trade-guide-possible-deals-in-season-moves-rob-pelinka-can-make-to-boost-lebrons-championship-hopes/

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