The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to cut ties with either Dalton Knecht or Jaden Hardy before the season begins, but the franchise is also rumored to be interested in making one more trade before the season begins to add big man depth behind Walker Kessler.
If the Lakers are serious about a trade, there aren’t a ton of candidates available at this point in the NBA calendar, specifically teams interested in taking back Knecht, Hardy, or both of them.
However, according to some recent reports, center Jalen Smith of the Chicago Bulls has emerged as a realistic and viable trade target for the Lakers. In a new proposal, Los Angeles adds the young big man while also sending out the two players, Knecht and Hardy, whom they’ve been linked to waiving anyway.
If the Lakers can make a deal like this, it would be the perfect capstone to an already very eventful offseason building around franchise star Luka Doncic.
Lakers Trade Idea Swaps Dalton Knecht, Jaden Hardy, And Picks For Jalen Smith
In a recent post on social media after new reports about the Lakers’ potential interest in a trade for Smith, NBA reporter Jake Weinbach outlined what a proposed package for the 26-year-old center would look like.
Here’s his trade idea for Los Angeles to add another big man.
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Jalen Smith
Chicago Bulls receive: Dalton Knecht, Jaden Hardy, a 2032 second-round pick (via WAS), and a 2033 second-round pick (via LAL)
• Lakers Jalen Smith
• Bulls Jaden Hardy Dalton Knecht 2032 second-round pick (via WAS) 2033 second-round pick (via LAL)
The Lakers should be interested in acquiring another rotational big man to complete the opening night roster.
Though Smith might not be a big name known across the NBA world, he’s put together a solid resume through the first few seasons of his career. Last year with the Bulls, he started in 21 of the 53 games he played, putting up 10.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists on 48.3/37.3/74.2 shooting splits while taking a career-high 4.2 three-pointers per game.
As NBA insider Brett Siegel recently reported, Smith is a perfect fit for this Lakers lineup, and if they can agree to a trade with the Bulls, he would immediately slide in to become the backup center.
“The Lakers could definitely use another big man on their bench, preferably someone who could stretch the floor, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see Pelinka move players like Knecht and Hardy in a deal, possibly even with a second-round pick, to beef up the frontcourt with a player he pinpoints,” he wrote.
“Jalen Smith is the type of player that would make sense for LA to target in this scenario since he’s in the final year of his contract. Chicago would have no problem taking on two contracts from a financial perspective, and taking a chance on younger players like Hardy and Knecht could make sense for them as well. Keep an eye on his status.”
The Lakers are reportedly interested in a ‘2 for 1’ consolidation trade, and if Chicago is interested in taking Knecht and Hardy in a deal while also getting back two second-round picks for Smith, this could be a win-win for both sides involved.
Why Los Angeles Makes This Deal Now
For one, the Lakers would easily trade Knecht for new talent because he’s expected to be waived before the season regardless. If the front office could get something back for him in return, it’s hard to not see the top decision-makers entertaining a deal for someone like Smith.
Additionally, Hardy isn’t expected to play a big role in the rotation, and if they need to move him to bring in someone who would be one of the best backup bigs in the league, it’s probably with that for the Lakers as well.
Even more so, trading Knecht and Hardy for one player would get Los Angeles to that 15-man roster limit they need to be at by the time the new season begins. Waiving Knecht or Hardy is the most likely outcome for how they’ll do that, but if moving both for someone like Smith, who would be a mainstay in the rotation, is on the table, there’s no reason why the Lakers wouldn’t make this trade.
Smith is in the final season of a three-year, $27 million deal, and if the Lakers could use Knecht, Hardy, or both in a trade for the 26-year-old center, it’s worth pursuing at this point.
He would slide behind Kessler in the depth chart, but would be ahead of Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili, giving the Lakers a true spacing big man who has the skill set to play at a high level next to Doncic and the other players on the roster.
The Lakers have been linked to a trade for Smith over the past few weeks, as he’s likely the top candidate available right now. If they could package Knecht, Hardy, and those second-round picks back to the Bulls, this is probably the best option Rob Pelinka and the front office have left this offseason to build a true title-contending roster in Los Angeles.
If a trade like this proposed one doesn’t happen, expect Knecht or Hardy to be off the roster before the season begins, with the nod going to the former, as he’s been the one rumored to be on the outside for the past month. Still, if the Lakers could use one of those two in a trade for another center, that’s the best-case scenario for the franchise.
Lakers Proposed To Trade Knecht And Hardy For $27M Bargain Center