Getty LaMelo Ball takes a jumpshot.
The Los Angeles Lakers will have assets to use on draft night, giving them an opportunity to land win-now players.
In a proposed draft night trade from Dan Favale of Bleacher Report, the Lakers would move players, three first-round picks and two first-round swaps for LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets. Favale targeted Ball over bigger stars such as Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young because, he wrote, other teams could offer better packages for them.
Hornets would get: Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Gabe Vincent, No. 17 pick, 2025 second-round pick (most favorable from Lakers or Clippers), 2026 first-round pick swap, 2027 second-round pick, 2028 first-round pick swap, 2029 first-round pick (unprotected), 2030 second-round pick, 2031 first-round pick (top-one protection; turns into 2031 second-rounder if not conveyed)
Lakers would get:Ball
“The promise of Ball’s shooting, vision and contrived anarchy on the break and how it all fits beside LeBron James (player option) and Anthony Davis is enough to get the Lakers looking beyond the risks,” Favale wrote in a June 20 story on “10 trades to shake up” draft night. “This is a move that weaponizes their present and constructs a sturdy bridge into the future. And no, L.A. shouldn’t quibble about surrendering so much draft equity when it’s keeping [Austin] Reaves.”
Favale noted that pursuing Ball “could pose similar challenges.”
“He’s 23 in August, under team control for the next five years and, by all appearances, not readily available,” Favale wrote on June 20. “More than a few teams will scatter given his injury history. He has numerous ankle issues in the rear view, missed 20-plus games in three of his first four seasons and made just 58 combined appearances over the last two years.”
LaMelo Ball Would Brings Them a Young Star
If the Lakers weren’t able to land Young or Mitchell – or any other star that could become available — Ball wouldn’t be a bad backup option.
The best part about trading for the All-Star is his age. Ball, who will turn 23 in August, would be a young star whom the Lakers could build around over the next decade.
The 2020-21 Rookie of the Year has played in only 58 games over the past two seasons but was proving to be one of the bright young players in the league. In 22 games during the 2023-24 campaign, he averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8 assists.
His 3-point shot would also give the Lakers spacing, as he’s a career 37.4% 3-point shooter on 7.6 attempts per game.
‘2 Feasible Paths For’ Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers’ decisions this offseason will be centered on whether they want to trade for a third star or upgrade their supporting cast. As the Lakers saw, non-stars like Derrick White of the Boston Celtics are big pieces to championship teams.
Alex Caruso was an important part of the Lakers 2020 championship and could potentially have that same fit again. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was a contributor on that Lakers roster and did the same with the Denver Nuggets when they won in 2023.
According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, there are “two feasible paths for the Lakers: modest moves with their midsized contracts to upgrade the supporting cast around James and Davis, or a larger swing with the bulk of their assets to acquire a third All-Star-caliber player,” Buha wrote on May 30.