The Los Angeles Lakers have just over a month until the new season begins, but there are no indications that the purple and gold are done making moves.
With superstar Luka Doncic locked down to a contract extension, the main objective for the front office is to surround their new franchise cornerstone with as many talented individuals as possible.
Dan Woike of The Athletic recently reported that the Lakers will be more aggressive in filling out the cast of co-stars to place alongside Doncic and the league’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James.
More news: Hawks Make Trade, Send Guard to East Rival
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
The Lakers are no strangers to their flaws, and one of the most glaring issues they have been criticized for is their perimeter defense.
In one trade idea from Lakers On SI’s Ryan Stano, LA is linked to 23-year-old shooting guard Jaden Ivey of the Detroit Pistons.
Ivey is rightfully a valued member of last season’s No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, but after the shooting guard unfortunately fractured his left fibula on New Year’s Day, the Pistons were forced to adjust to life without him.
His fit was always questioned in Detroit, but the 30-game sample size showed that he and Cade Cunningham can manage a backcourt together. Ivey put up 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, four assists, and 0.9 steals per game last year before the fracture.
More news: Lakers Urged to Go All-In, Land $196 Million All-Star in Blockbuster Trade
As for what a trade to Los Angeles would look like, at the very least, Lakers fans would expect to part ways with a first-round pick and a rotational-caliber player. This player could be Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, the already once traded Dalton Knecht, or a combination with more in return from Detroit.
Knecht would be the only Laker who would have to have another player (for example, Maxi Kleber), attached to make the money work without the Pistons adding more, but Ivey is already a valuable enough asset if this trade did, in fact, materialize.
Ivey is going into the final year of his contract and will make a little over $10 million during the 2025-26 campaign.
Detroit proved last season that they are more than capable of succeeding without Ivey, but if he were to be moved, the Pistons would have to be sure that it is a needle-mover. As for LA, Ivey is a guy who not only makes an impact immediately, but can be a part of the core for years to come.
More news: Ben Simmons Has One-Word Response to Retirement Rumors
For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
About the Author
