Lakers Eyeing Trade For Familiar Role Players From Brooklyn Nets To Boost Depth

This would move the needle.

Trade season is in full swing around the NBA, and the Lakers, who have clear issues on both sides of the ball, need to get acting soon. 

The team is without the necessary 3-point shooting, downhill athleticism, and point-of-attack defense that other contenders around the league have a surplus of, leaving LA at a serious competitive disadvantage down the stretch. 

Tons of teams have been tied to the Lakers, including the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, and Atlanta Hawks, but some obstacles lie in the way of a trade actually happening. 

That said, a team with a couple of high-caliber 3-&-D wings on cheap contracts that LA should be able to acquire is the Brooklyn Nets, who have Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O'Neale. 

We also discussed this on the All Lakers podcast last week in some detail, which you can watch here. 

Jovan Buha of The Athletic recently reinforced a stat/concept that I've been discussing since the preseason: 

"Los Angeles is 23rd in offensive rating, which isn’t good enough to win a playoff round, let alone contend for a championship," Buha writes. "The Lakers need to add a player or two who gives their stagnant offense more verve."

He's right, and Finney-Smith/O'Neale can definitely move the needle a good bit, as both are versatile 1-4 defenders that can shoot the 3-ball at a near-40% clip. That said, as I mentioned on the podcast, players like them are traded at a value that corresponds more to the role that they play, rather than their talent. 

By that, I mean that the value of them is derived from the fact that they're 3-&-D wing players, would universally fit on every team, and make a massive impact everywhere they go. Similar to OG Anunoby, who was dealt from the Raptors to the Knicks, while he's definitely a worse player than the combination of RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, his coveted skillset drove up his value. 

This opens up feasibility concerns for the Lakers, as if the Nets overprice their 3-&-D wings, the Lakers won't be able to compete with other teams around the league, who have far more assets. We'll see what happens but as great as these fits sound in theory, other teams will likely win the sweepstakes.