Missing out on Jonathan Kuminga kind of made the Los Angeles Lakers’ summer feel incomplete. The roster is close to where the front office envisioned it, and it feels like they may decide to stick with what is on ground. One of the main reasons is that most ideal options are almost impossible at the moment.
According to Lakers insider Jovan Buha, there are a lot of options that could have made the Lakers have a complete offseason. However, to him, the perfect final piece for the Lakers lies in one of the New York Knicks stars.
“If one of OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges or Josh Hart shakes loose, I think any of those three will make a ton of sense for this group in one of those spots,” Buha said.
The Lakers can’t go a whole offseason without some over-the-top trade speculations. The perfect fit alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves doesn’t come much better than Anunoby.
An elite championship-caliber forward who can step into LeBron James’ departed role. However, Anunoby is more of a wish than an actual possibility at this point.
Insider Suggests OG Anunoby as a Perfect Final Piece for Lakers
Quentin Grimes, Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle and rookie Cameron Carr are all in line to compete for one of the forward spots. The Lakers also have Jake LaRavia, new addition Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jarred Vanderbilt in the mix for the final starting roster spot.
Altogether, a case could be made that despite various versatility for some of those stars, none of them will put Anunoby on the bench.
“You could move Grimes to the bench and give him a larger role or you can have that player swap in for Zaire or Matisse whoever is starting.
Anunoby is quite an expensive target. He forms part of the Knicks’ core, with every one of those stars taking him a significant salary. For the 2026-27 season, Anunoby is owed around $42.5 million and his deal runs out in the summer of 2029.
A trade could be the only path to actualizing a deal. The Lakers can hand the Knicks pieces on team-friendly deals although they will still have to go well over their cap to match his salary. Also, it’s hard to see why the Knicks will dismantle their title-winning core.
The Anunoby Effect Would Be Felt in L.A.
A starting piece for a championship roster will always be enticing no matter the cost. Anunoby has been a premier starter for the Knicks ever since he joined from the Toronto Raptors.
Anunoby can chip in scoring contributions but he hasn’t really been the secondary option in both Toronto and New York. However, he is more valued for his two-way forward play. He can defend the perimeter, hold the wings, and is a decent shooter which makes him a perfect 3-and-D profile.
He will make the Lakers a genuine championship contender. At 29 years old, he is still at a peak age to play long-term, which is why he will be very expensive should they key into a trade.
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