Lakers News: All-Star Trade Target Reportedly May Not Be Option Any Longer

The Lakers could miss out on one of their top trade prospects.

Mar 28, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) passes around Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers have the assets (three first round draft picks, several decent veterans on aggregatable contracts) to land a third All-Star this summer and re-commit to another "Big Three" approach. This is absolutely the wrong thing to do if the team also intends to keep 39-year-old All-Star forward LeBron James around long-term.

When James was in his prime while with the Miami Heat, the collective, two-way greatness of himself and fellow Hall of Famers Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh allowed the club to survive by surrounding itself mostly with minimum contracts and a few veterans on massive discounts. With the Cavaliers, though All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love weren't the defenders that Wade and Bosh were, the team benefitted from Irving still being on his rookie-scale deal at the start of the James/Irving/Love Big Three, which allowed the club to add lots of quality veterans on sizable deals.

But this time, adding a new All-Star would essentially return a cash-strapped Los Angeles to the Heat-era model. James is no longer the two-way star he was at his peak, while Davis' lack of a jumper limits his offensive flexibility.

All that said, it seems possible that the Lakers could now miss out on one of their projected top trade targets this offseason.

During a recent appearance on his show "Run It Back," FanDuel TV's Shams Charania revealed how the Cleveland Cavaliers' decision to fire head coach J.B. Bickerstaff could have surprise ripple effects for the Lakers' chances. Not only are two of L.A.'s top head coach prospects, Kenny Atkinson and James Borrego, now competing for a shot leading another playoff club, but, more importantly, All-Star Donovan Mitchell may now lock himself into a long-term future with the Cavs now that Bickerstaff is gone.

"J. B. Bickerstaff is out as head coach in Cleveland, sources tell me that Kenny Atkinson and James Borrego are among the leading candidates to replace Bickerstaff...There is a lot of optimism around the Cavs that they're going to get a commitment from Donovan Mitchell on a… pic.twitter.com/9NkzsXTIkm

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 23, 2024

"J. B. Bickerstaff is out as head coach in Cleveland, sources tell me that Kenny Atkinson and James Borrego are among the leading candidates to replace Bickerstaff," Charania offered. "There is a lot of optimism around the Cavs that they're going to get a commitment from Donovan Mitchell on a 4-year $208 million dollar extension."

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