Bill Simmons Pushes Lakers Trade for D’Angelo Russell Replacement

Getty Lakers starting point guard D'Angelo Russell was benched in Memphis.

The Los Angeles Lakers‘ 1-4 road trip showed how shallow their depth is.

If they cannot swing for a star trade, could there be a minor trade that could balance out their roster and give rookie coach JJ Redick a fighting chance to whip up a playoff contender?

Bill Simmons of The Ringer believes a potential trade with the Brooklyn Nets could improve the Lakers’ depth where they could get back Dennis Schroder to replace D’Angelo Russell and get 3-and-D big man Dorian Finney-Smith.

“Could they package Schroder and Finney-Smith to the Lakers for the [D’Angelo Russell] contract, Christian Wood, something else and get one of those first-round picks from the Lakers that they’re still hoarding? They probably could. Would that be a good trade for the Lakers? It actually would be,” Simmons said on his podcast on November 5.

To make the math work, the Lakers could add the expiring salaries of Jalen Hood-Schifino and Cam Reddish.

Dennis Schroder Better Than D’Angelo Russell

Simmons’ trade idea makes sense for the current Lakers’ roster.

The more dynamic Schroder is better than Russell this season.

Schroder is flourishing in Brooklyn after his first full training camp with them following last season’s trade deadline deal that brought him there.

The 6-foot-1 crafty point guard is averaging 19.9 points and 7.3 assists while shooting a staggering 49% from the 3-point line, all career highs.

Not to mention, Schroder is a much better defensive player than Russell. Schroder is averaging 1.4 steals this season.

The eye-popping numbers of the crafty German playmaker is what the Lakers were expecting from Russell, who is struggling under Redick’s system.

In the Lakers’ 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, November 6, Redick took Russell out with 5:54 left in the third quarter, and the starting guard never returned.

When asked about it postgame, Redick did not mince words.

“Just level of compete, attention to detail, some of the things we’ve talked with him about for a couple of weeks,” Redick told reporters about Russell’s fourth-quarter benching. “And at times, he’s been really good with that stuff, and other times, it’s just reverting back to certain habits. It wasn’t like a punishment. I just felt like for us to have a chance to win this game, that was the route we wanted to take.”

Schroder already had two stints with the Lakers — first during the 2020-21 season under Frank Vogel and a second tour of duty during the 2022-23 season under Darvin Ham.

Could a third time be a charm?

Dorian Finney-Smith is Juiced-Up Jarred Vanderbilt Version

On the other hand, Finney-Smith could just be the right complementary role player next to Anthony Davis in the Lakers frontcourt.

Finney-Smith has the shooting skill that Jarred Vanderbilt could never provide and the defensive versatility that Rui Hachimura doesn’t possess. The Nets’ big man has the size and defensive versatility to cover most of the opposing centers and power forwards in the league to ease the burden on Davis.

Finney-Smith is shooting 34.8% from the 3-point line this season and averaging two 3-pointers made per game. His threat from the outside would keep the defense honest and provide Davis more room to operate inside the paint.

Nets’ new coach, Jordi Fernandez, is usually starting the 6-foot-7 Finney-Smith as a small-ball center, and the eighth-year veteran responded with per-game averages of 10.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.1 stocks (steals and blocks).

Hachimura coming off the bench for the Lakers would also improve the Lakers’ 20.6-point bench scoring, currently the second-worst in the league this season.