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The Los Angeles Lakers are running out of options on the free agency and trade market, making it difficult to imagine a scenario where they significantly upgrade their roster. With limited players on the market at this stage of the offseason, the Lakers will have to get creative.
In a proposed trade from Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report, they’d be doing just that. Hughes proposed a three-team deal with the Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, and Sacramento Kings. The trade would move Dalton Knecht and much more for LaMelo Ball.
Lakers would get: Ball
Hornets would get: Knecht, Kevin Huerter, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Gabe Vincent, 2026 first-round swap (via LA), 2028 first-round swap (via LA), 2029 first-round pick (via LA; unprotected), 2031 first-round pick (via LA; top-1 protected, converts to 2031 second-round pick if not conveyed), 2025 second-round pick (most favorable of LA or LAC), 2026 second-round pick (via SAC), 2030 second-round pick (via LA)
Kings would get: Rui Hachimura
“Ball shot 42.5 percent on 4.4 catch-and-shoot three-point attempts per game in 2021-22, his last healthy season. Last year was a 22-game wash, but Ball also cracked the 40 percent mark in the 36 games he logged in 2022-23,” Hughes wrote on July 19. “That’s enough to conclude he has bankable value as a spacer, which makes him the rare on-ball star who can comfortably slot into a supporting off-ball role when the Lakers want to put James in charge of the offense.
“A Southern California native, Ball plays a style that’ll conjure memories of the Showtime Lakers. Flashy, daring, sometimes reckless—he’s an open-floor artist who takes risks and generates highlights. That’ll play under the Los Angeles spotlight.”
Does Moving Knecht Make Sense?
The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Knecht with the No. 17 pick in the draft, and according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Rob Pelinka said he didn’t expect him to still be available at that point in the draft.
“We never would’ve imagined a player as skilled and perfect for our needs would be there for us as Dalton Knecht,” said Pelinka.
The Lakers appear to have found a young player who could potentially make an impact as early as this season.
Moving Knecht right after drafting him would be a strange decision if it’s for a player who doesn’t significantly improve their roster, but one could argue that Ball would do just that. If Los Angeles were to trade him, they should be targeting a player who raises their championship chances in the immediate, as well as in the future.
Knecht, despite being drafted, is 23 years old, while Ball, who’s entering his fifth NBA season, is just 22.
In this type of scenario, it could make sense for the Lakers, as Ball has already proven that he can be an All-Star guard.
How Ball Would Fit the Lakers
Ball, who’s entering the first year of his five-year, $203.8 million contract, would be an excellent addition next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He’s a high-level 3-point shooter, hitting at a 37.4% rate on 7.6 attempts per game over his career.
He averaged 23.9 points per game a year ago, adding 8.0 assists per game, too.
Ball’s ability to pass and shoot would solve many of the Los Angeles Lakers’ problems. They attempted the fewest 3-pointers per game last season, and adding someone who’s taken at least 9.0 per game over the last two years would help with that.
Not only would Ball be a scoring threat, but he could be the primary creator, which should help James and Davis get open looks and not have to exert as much energy on the offensive end in the regular season to keep them help.
