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Lakers get: C Brook Lopez, #27 pick in draft (Kyle Kuzma: PF, Utah, Junior)
Nets get: PG/SG D'Angelo Russell, C Timofey Mozgov
Lakers get: C Brook Lopez, #27 pick in draft (Kyle Kuzma: PF, Utah, Junior)
Nets get: PG/SG D'Angelo Russell, C Timofey Mozgov
It's not obvious, but I've hardly seen more of a riskier trade since I've been covering them, and that's saying a lot.
The Lakers finally had it all figured out for the post-Mamba era: collect young talent (three consecutive number two picks never hurts), losing a few (or several) if you have to, and restock that way. LA had ceased to be a premier free-agent destination, so this seemed like the way to go. Were there a couple signings that just randomly threw money at average veterans and just made no sense whatsoever? Sure (see: Mozgov's 4 year/$60 million and Luol Deng's 3 years/$54 million). But the franchise was Jordan Clarkson's, and D'Angelo Russell's, and Julius Randle's, and Brandon Ingram's, not to mention the rest of the plethora of young talent including Ivica Zubac, Larry Nance Jr., etc; and of course this year's number two overall pick that turned into the one-and-only LaVar Ball... I mean Lonzo.
So there are a few assumptions that Team President Magic Johnson had when he decided to shake that all up:
1) A backcourt pairing of two ball-dominant guards, each with big personalities -- D'Angelo and Lonzo Ball (whom he wanted draft) -- would never have worked.
...fair, but there are ways around this (trading either for another talented prospect/draft pick) that could've kept the status quo.
2) The Lakers do not have their own draft pick this upcoming season, so losing makes no sense. Must go all-out to win now.
....careful.
The Lakers finally had it all figured out for the post-Mamba era: collect young talent (three consecutive number two picks never hurts), losing a few (or several) if you have to, and restock that way. LA had ceased to be a premier free-agent destination, so this seemed like the way to go. Were there a couple signings that just randomly threw money at average veterans and just made no sense whatsoever? Sure (see: Mozgov's 4 year/$60 million and Luol Deng's 3 years/$54 million). But the franchise was Jordan Clarkson's, and D'Angelo Russell's, and Julius Randle's, and Brandon Ingram's, not to mention the rest of the plethora of young talent including Ivica Zubac, Larry Nance Jr., etc; and of course this year's number two overall pick that turned into the one-and-only LaVar Ball... I mean Lonzo.
So there are a few assumptions that Team President Magic Johnson had when he decided to shake that all up:
1) A backcourt pairing of two ball-dominant guards, each with big personalities -- D'Angelo and Lonzo Ball (whom he wanted draft) -- would never have worked.
...fair, but there are ways around this (trading either for another talented prospect/draft pick) that could've kept the status quo.
2) The Lakers do not have their own draft pick this upcoming season, so losing makes no sense. Must go all-out to win now.
....careful.
But what really tipped Magic over the edge to make this franchise-altering trade? The news that superstar Paul George wanted to become a Laker. This raised assumption number three, and now the course of the Lakers franchise is anew.
Team President Magic Johnson decided that this shocking announcement meant that LA was indeed again a premier free-agent destination, and that that's primarily how the team should be acquiring talent, not through the draft and developing prospects.
Is he correct? Maybe, but quite possibly not. The team has struck out on every big free agent that they've gone after ever since Dwight Howard ended the nobody-says-no-to-the-Lakers thing they had going in the summer of 2013. And the team has swung a lot: LeBron, 'Melo, Dirk, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Durant, and pretty at much every big free agent that you can think of over the past few years. All strikeouts.
Does Magic really think that's all going to change at the drop of a dime?
Team President Magic Johnson decided that this shocking announcement meant that LA was indeed again a premier free-agent destination, and that that's primarily how the team should be acquiring talent, not through the draft and developing prospects.
Is he correct? Maybe, but quite possibly not. The team has struck out on every big free agent that they've gone after ever since Dwight Howard ended the nobody-says-no-to-the-Lakers thing they had going in the summer of 2013. And the team has swung a lot: LeBron, 'Melo, Dirk, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Durant, and pretty at much every big free agent that you can think of over the past few years. All strikeouts.
Does Magic really think that's all going to change at the drop of a dime?
I mean, it could, don't get me wrong. In the best case scenario, the allure of Hollywood, coupled with of course a talented young roster and Paul George just might attract some stars. But Magic is really rolling the dice with this trade.
If Magic had stuck with Approach A (talent via prospects), then the talented D'Angelo Russell undoubtedly represents a key part of LA's future. The 2015 number two overall pick averaged 15.6 points and 4.8 assists per game this past season -- and although he still has efficiency and "leadership" (according to Magic) issues to work out -- is bursting with offensive potential that just screams "future superstar." Thus Russell would have stayed on with the Lakers, as would have Mozgov's measly 7.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and $48 million remaining on his contract over the next few years, as "Approach A" teams generally don't desperately need the cap space. This is why Brooklyn is an "Approach A" team: they were more than willing to take on Mozgov's albatross contract if it meant acquiring young talent for the future.
But the Lakers, as made clear with this trade, are an "Approach B" team -- that is, they want to win right away, and talent shall be acquired primarily via free agency. Therefore, Magic Johnson's thought process goes, the team shall afford to drop from an ex-#2 pick down to a #27 pick, because the team gets loads of cap flexibility in exchange (by shedding Mozgov), which will be used to sign a star in free agency. Assuming, of course, that a free-agent star wants to be a Laker, or else that saved money goes to waste, if you follow.
I mean, it could, don't get me wrong. In the best case scenario, the allure of Hollywood, coupled with of course a talented young roster and Paul George just might attract some stars. But Magic is really rolling the dice with this trade.
If Magic had stuck with Approach A (talent via prospects), then the talented D'Angelo Russell undoubtedly represents a key part of LA's future. The 2015 number two overall pick averaged 15.6 points and 4.8 assists per game this past season -- and although he still has efficiency and "leadership" (according to Magic) issues to work out -- is bursting with offensive potential that just screams "future superstar." Thus Russell would have stayed on with the Lakers, as would have Mozgov's measly 7.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and $48 million remaining on his contract over the next few years, as "Approach A" teams generally don't desperately need the cap space. This is why Brooklyn is an "Approach A" team: they were more than willing to take on Mozgov's albatross contract if it meant acquiring young talent for the future.
But the Lakers, as made clear with this trade, are an "Approach B" team -- that is, they want to win right away, and talent shall be acquired primarily via free agency. Therefore, Magic Johnson's thought process goes, the team shall afford to drop from an ex-#2 pick down to a #27 pick, because the team gets loads of cap flexibility in exchange (by shedding Mozgov), which will be used to sign a star in free agency. Assuming, of course, that a free-agent star wants to be a Laker, or else that saved money goes to waste, if you follow.
Brook Lopez, the best player right now in the deal, has an expiring deal worth $22.6 million. The 29-year-old figures to be a go-to back-to-the-basket sort of scorer on the Lakers roster, averaging 20.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game on 47.4% shooting from the field last season. It's unclear what Magic's plans for him are beyond this season -- if any -- as his expiring deal provides the cap flexibility that the greatest point guard of all time craves.
This deal really cannot be fairly judged until we see how Magic's dice-roll lands: will his plan of winning immediately by attracting top-tier studs (like George) work out, in which case this deal will be looked back upon as a beautiful and crafty economic decision? Or will the Lakers fail to compete right away, in which case this trade will be looked back upon as throwing away a future superstar in D'Angelo?
Time will tell.
...But per my own rules, I have to give a grade right now.
Grade: B
This deal really cannot be fairly judged until we see how Magic's dice-roll lands: will his plan of winning immediately by attracting top-tier studs (like George) work out, in which case this deal will be looked back upon as a beautiful and crafty economic decision? Or will the Lakers fail to compete right away, in which case this trade will be looked back upon as throwing away a future superstar in D'Angelo?
Time will tell.
...But per my own rules, I have to give a grade right now.
Grade: B
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