The Los Angeles Lakers’ recent success on the court was enough for general manager Rob Pelinka to finally pull the trigger on a deal.
The Lakers agreed to send out D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second round picks to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Melton. Finney-Smith was a popular trade target because of his 3-and-D skillset and appeared to be going to the Memphis Grizzlies beforeL Los Angeles swooped in.
While Finney-Smith was the centerpiece of the package, Milton is an underrated addition because of his scoring and playmaking ability. With Russell gone, more players will need to step up to make up for his production and Milton is a solid replacement.
The Lakers are expected to remain active in the trade market and they appear to still be determined to flip Gabe Vincent to the Washington Wizards for Jonas Valanciunas, via Michael Scott of HoopsHype:
“Having acquired the wing defender they sought in Finney-Smith, the next item for the Lakers on their list is a backup center. The Lakers will continue to try and acquire Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas or another backup center on the trade market with their remaining future second-round draft capital, and Gabe Vincent is expected to be dangled in talks as well, league sources told HoopsHype.”
Vincent and second round picks for Valanciunas has been the most reported trade permutation and it sounds like the Lakers aren’t going to add more to get a deal done. While Washington will likely try to pry at least one more asset from Los Angeles, there doesn’t seen to be many suitors for Valanciunas.
The Lakers’ center rotation has been thin throughout the 2024-25 season as Jaxson Hayes has missed time with an ankle sprain while Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt have yet to make their season debuts. Trading for a backup big like Valanciunas would give the team some much-needed size and physicality, especially as Anthony Davis continues to play through nagging injuries.
Valanciunas isn’t the only big man available, as other names like Robert Williams III and Walker Kessler are also on the trading block. Regardless, it feels like a matter of time before one of them is coming to the Lakers.
Lakers plan to evaluate new acquisitions before making more trades
The Lakers are hoping Finney-Smith and Milton slot right into the rotation, and will reportedly wait to see how they do before making more trades.
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