The Los Angeles Lakers spent a chunk of the summer chasing a potential move for Jonathan Kuminga. They wanted a starting wing to add to a core of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and new center Walker Kessler.
Unfortunately for L.A., that chase ended when Kuminga chose a two-year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers are now pegged back in acquiring a suitable wing presence at this point.
The cap space is tight as it is, and Lakers Nation’s Trevor Lane admits that any real move now depends on other teams being willing to move pieces as well.
“The ideal trade would be to find a way to move off of Jarred Vanderbilt’s salary in the process. If you can do that, that’s really the ideal move,” Lane said.
The Lakers can boast a solid unit ahead of the upcoming season, but whether they’re championship-worthy is a big question. The likes of Vanderbilt would be handed roles to contribute if he stays. However, there may be a chance to flip him for what could well be an upgrade.
Lakers Options to Add More Talent Around Luka Doncic
Vanderbilt’s hasn’t been the most popular open on the market. The Lakers have tried to move him, according to recent reports, but haven’t been able to due to a variety of reasons.
For one, Vanderbilt has a salary of roughly $12.4 million for the 2026-27 season and a $13.3 million player option in the season after. It looks modest but makes him a tough contract for most teams to absorb without extra incentive given that he is mostly viewed as a depth piece.
At this moment, the Lakers could keep Vanderbilt or find a way to structure a move and get additions that could contribute more, especially on the wings. Lane pointed to a pair of recent NBA champions as the kind of players who would solve the problem.
“Obviously OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, these guys would be great options. Basically anybody who can convincingly be a 3/4 in the NBA, that’s really what you are looking for,” Lane added.
A Bridges deal would almost certainly require Vanderbilt plus one or two other mid-level contracts such as Jaden Hardy or Jake LaRavia to be moved first. It would still need a third team or extra assets to make the salaries work because the New York Knicks star is on a much larger salary of around $33.4 million.
The Knicks have next to no reason to move a solid core from their championship run. But a chance to clear some significant salary space could be welcomed given much larger deals like Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Is Bridges a Realistic Option for L.A.?
For starters, Bridges is a much taller option than Quentin Grimes who is the Lakers’ current starting wing option. Getting Bridges would allow Grimes to move into his natural shooting guard or sixth-man role instead of asking the smaller guard to hold up against bigger wings night after night.
It may not seem much but that change would improve L.A.’s defense while adding a proven championship caliber star to the fold.
Bridges has played the full 82 games in the last four seasons. The Knicks wingman is on a four-year deal, so it may be a while before he becomes available.
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