Why The Trade Should Have Happened

The Los Angeles Lakers’ lack of activity this offseason has been baffling.

Simply running back the same roster (minus Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie, plus Dalton Knecht and Bronny James) that lost in the first round of the playoffs especially when LeBron James is about to turn 40 doesn’t bode well for the Lakers’ title chances this season.

As long as Los Angeles has James and Anthony Davis, the goal should be championship or bust. This was already a subpar offense last year, ranking 15th overall (115.4 rating) and 12th out of the 16 playoff teams.

Adding an electric playmaker such as LaMelo Ball or Trae Young could have completely jump-started this offense, giving the Lakers another 20-point-per-game scorer and one of the best passers in the NBA.

James would have been far fresher entering the playoffs with a player like Ball or Young running the offense on a nightly basis.

With Ball, yes. With Young, probably not.

The Charlotte Hornets front office that drafted Ball is no longer in place, and if the franchise gets off to a rough start there may be some incentive to trade the All-Star point guard and in an attempt to get the No. 1 pick in a loaded 2025 draft.

The Lakers could offer D’Angelo Russell’s expiring contract, future first-round picks and more in a deal for Ball, a player that would provide a tremendous spark.

Following the Dejounte Murray trade, it’s unlikely the Hawks part with their other franchise point guard. There’s even less incentive for Atlanta to want to help the Lakers, as the Hawks now own Los Angeles’ unprotected 2025 first-round pick, a selection they acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans in the deal for Murray.