The Los Angeles Lakers acquire Lauri Mark kanen in a blockbuster trade proposal
The Lakers can push their chips to center and acquire Lauri Mark kanen from the Jazz.
Ishaan Bhattac harya December 1, 2023 The Los Angeles Lakers are having a mixed season so far, sitting at 11-9 and outside the top six in the West.
All of their losses have come at the hands of a team above .500, which is a worrying trend for the Lakers, who are unable to match the competition at a higher level. With a number of injuries plaguing the roster, the Lakers remain atop the Western standings for the first 20 games of the season.
The offense has been particularly poor, as the Lakers have an offensive rating of 111.3, the fourth-worst thus far in the NBA. Even though D’Angelo Russell is playing well, the Lakers simply don’t have enough offensive weapons when LeBron isn’t on the court.
Austin Reaves was a disappointment early in the season as the other players on the team excelled on defense.The Utah Jazz may be looking to move on from Lauri Markkanen, who continues to play at an All-Star level on a rebuilding Jazz roster. This could be the perfect destination for the Lakers.
Trading Details: Utah Jazz Receive: Rui Hachimura, Jalen-Hood Schifino, 2028 First Round Pick Swap (LAL), 2029 First Round Pick Swap (LAL), 2030 First Round Pick Swap (LAL)The Los Angeles Lakers receive: Lauri Markkanen The Lakers will be forced to part ways with a talented frontcourt player and the rookie point guard they drafted this summer.
Costly pick moves shouldn’t be ignored either, but Markkanen, 27, can be the lynchpin that helps the Lakers transition from one era to the next.
The Jazz Tank benefits from the value of Lauri MarkkanenThe Jazz signed Lauri Markkanen as a replacement in the Donovan Mitchell trade last summer. Since then, he has become an All-Star and one of the best forwards in the NBA.
He is averaging 23.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals this season, cementing his reputation as one of the NBA’s most efficient scorers. The Jazz aren’t going anywhere with their exploits, they are 6-13. Can contribute at a high level as a No. 1 option. 2 or 3 for a contender.
Rui Hachimura can help the Jazz find a solution at their wing position by playing the 6-foot-7 Markkanen at small forward this season to accommodate John Collins. Hachimura can step into the starting three, while young replacements like Brice Sensabaugh continue to develop.
Hachimura is only 24 years old and still has a lot of room to grow, as his short experience with the Lakers has already shown. Jalen-Hood Schifino adds depth to a bare-bones Utah point guard rotation led by Collin Sexton.
Former Lakers Talen Horton-Tucker is also competing for the guard position, but his long-term future with the franchise is in question given his disappointing play thus far.
JHS is talented and could become one of the Jazz’s star guards provided he is given the opportunity to play and develop. Lakers want to win now while planning for the futureThe Lakers need to maximize their window with LeBron James.
Even though no one expected him to be playing at this high level six years into his tenure with the Lakers, the franchise must realize it only has a small window of opportunity with James. They’ve already wasted two seasons tolerating a bad team due to the lack of trades available on the market.
The prospects for a big Lakers move are good and Markkanen is the perfect fit. Lauri has proven that he can be a great creator on offense and win his own ball back when needed.
He is also able to contribute well in link-up play, reading the pitch intelligently to make passes when necessary, although this is not an elite skill for the Finnish striker. His shooting ability is desperately needed by the Lakers.
He’ll get more free throws alongside LeBron and Anthony Davis rather than focusing primarily on defense against Utah.
Markkanen is only 27 years old, which means he still has many of his best years ahead of him. While it seems like James could play forever, that’s probably not the case.
The Lakers need to plan for the future. Given their privileged situation and the expansion of the CEO, a restructuring is not expected in the next few years.
The acquisition of Markkanen will give the Lakers the perfect bridge between the LeBron era and everything that comes next for the franchise.
The ideal wing marker changes the lacrsLakers can keep most of their depth of duplication in this agreement and separate from the recruit Schifino, which would try to create it in the rotation of the playoffs behind Angelo Russell and Gabe Vincent.
In addition to AD and LeBron, the Lakers have still not been able to find a solution to the position of the front square, with several large and wings based on injuries and matches.
Markkanes would end this instability, which is able to play a role on the whole square before.
Its natural evaluation capacity and its length to disrupt the passing roads would give the Lakers the best rotation of the NBA with Jarred Vanderbilt of the Bank.
Jazz could have an auction war for Markkanen, because its affordable contract is easy to reach most of the teams around the NBA.
The question is how much draft capital a team is willing to give up, with the Lakers offering a pretty hefty package with that.
The Jazz and Lakers already made two trades last season, with the second going for Russell Westbrook and saving the Lakers’ season.
Relations between the front offices are good, so the Lakers need to get this deal done as quickly as possible.
The earliest possible date will be January 15, as Hachimura will then become trade eligible. This is a good deal for everyone involved and could propel the Lakers into contention in the West.
