Lakers Trade Pitch Nets $100 Million for a five star player.
Now that the NBA draft is done, the Los Angeles Lakers’ new leadership can focus on the free agent and trade markets, which will ultimately determine how competitive they are the following season.
Even though LeBron James turns 40 in December, he is still a top player. After starting 76 games during the regular season in 2023–24, Anthony Davis is coming off of by far the healthiest campaign of his five-year Los Angeles tenure. The Lakers, despite their competitiveness, were eliminated from the playoffs in just five games by the Denver Nuggets, despite managing to secure the seventh seed in the Western Conference through the NBA Play-In Tournament.
The last scene in the screenplay for Los Angeles’ last two seasons has been the Nuggets’ Play-In berth followed by a postseason exit. The starting lineup obviously needs to be adjusted if the Lakers are to climb the mountain in Denver and any other peaks that may be located in locations like Minnesota, Oklahoma City, or Dallas. JJ Redick replaced the departing Darvin Ham as head coach.
The few potential trade targets that league insiders have concentrated on the most include Atlanta Hawks combo guard Dejounte Murray. However, Los Angeles is unwilling to give up Austin Reaves as part of any agreement. On Tuesday, June 26, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton wrote a proposal that would enable the Lakers to acquire Murray without having to give up Reaves.
Dejounte Murray Could Be Acquired by the Lakers for Two First-Round Picks and Two Rotation Players
According to Pelton’s proposal, Los Angeles would trade Murray to Atlanta for Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, and first-round selections in 2029 and 2031.
The Hawks’ availability of Murray at the trade deadline limited the Lakers’ offer to one first-round selection in 2029 or 2030 plus trades. Now, that has altered. Los Angeles can offer the No. 17 pick as soon as it is made, along with their selections in 2029 and 2031, since the New Orleans Pelicans have decided to postpone the first-round pick that the Lakers owe them for next year.
It appears reasonable to offer unprotected selections in 2029 and 2031, particularly for a version of the transaction in which Murray is replaced in the backcourt by Atlanta’s Austin Reaves.
Murray had a career year in scoring last season, but he wasn’t a standout defender for Atlanta.
Along with backcourt partner Trae Young, he averaged 22.5 points per game, 5.4 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. Murray made 7.1 shots per game from outside the 3-point arc, shooting 36.3%.
In addition to James and Davis, the Lakers need three-and-D players, and Murray’s improved accuracy and increasing willingness to shoot long balls are encouraging, especially in light of the fact that he has shown himself to be an All-Star player overall. In the 2021–22 season, Murray played in an All-Star game—his final one with the San Antonio Spurs before being traded to Atlanta.
Murray’s defensive rating from the previous season was, however, far below average. Against the league average of 116.1, he generated a rating of 119.4. Murray, who will be 28 years old when the season begins, might be a useful addition to the Lakers roster if he can continue to shoot well from behind the arc and play better defense.
With a player option for the following season, Murray’s four-year, $114 million contract keeps him under contract through 2026–2027. Given his talent and the current NBA salary structure, this is an extremely good deal.
