As Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick aptly said on Thursday, the time for roster fantasy is over — now it’s time to build chemistry.
While the Lakers have most of their roster set, a few mandatory moves remain — chief among them trimming the squad from 16 players to 15. The following Lakers trade proposal accomplishes that while giving Redick and Luka Doncic a crucial addition that could significantly boost the team’s win total this season.
Lakers Trade Idea Lands Derrick Jones Jr.
Lakers would receive: Derrick Jones Jr.
Mavericks would receive: Dalton Knecht, Cash considerations
Clippers would receive: Daniel Gafford
Bulls would receive: Jake LaRavia, Cash considerations
The four-team framework allows the Lakers to send out two players while adding one, bringing their roster size to 15. More importantly, they reunite Doncic with a key core piece of the 2024 Mavericks team that reached the NBA Finals.
Why the Lakers Do It
On paper, the Lakers don’t have any proven 3-and-D wings they can count upon in the postseason. Sure, Quentin Grimes has the ability to play that role, but his defense is suspect; Matisse Thybulle offers perimeter defense, but his jumper is streaky. Ultimately, Los Angeles still lacks a battle-tested wing who can lock down an opponent’s top scorer and reliably capitalize on wide-open passes from Doncic.
Jones Jr. is precisely that piece. A key contributor to the Mavericks’ 2024 Finals run, he provided crucial shot-making while serving as arguably the team’s top wing defender. Across 22 playoff games, he posted 9.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest while knocking down a respectable 37% of his three-pointers. Most importantly, he anchored the defense by holding his own against elite scorers like Paul George, Jalen Williams and Anthony Edwards in the Western Conference playoffs.
It also helps that Jones Jr. is on an expiring $10.4M salary. If he thrives, Los Angeles gains a dynamic piece; if he doesn’t, Rob Pelinka retains the flexibility to let his deal expire and redirect those resources elsewhere next offseason.
Lakers Weigh Roster Options
If the Lakers don’t make a trade, they are reportedly expected to waive either Dalton Knecht, Bronny James or Jaden Hardy to rime the roster size to 15.
“My read on the situation is that this is going to be a competition among Dalton Knecht, Bronny James and Jaden Hardy,” Lakers insider Jovan Buha said on his podcast.
“Two of those guys will make it. One of those guys won’t.”
Rob Pelinka himself has floated the idea of a 2-for-1 trade to trim to roster to 15 players.
“Behind that evaluation of who’s emerging in camp, there’s also consolidation trades that could still be looked at — trading two guys out, bringing one in,” Pelinka said of finalizing the Lakers roster. “There’s a number of ways that that could be addressed.”
The kick off their new campaign with a home game against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21. Oddsmakers have set their over/under wins total at 46.5.
Proposed 4-Team Lakers Trade Finalizes Roster With Veteran 3-and-D Wing