Getty Trae Young driving against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been deemed a landing spot for superstar point guard Trae Young, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Young, an All-NBA selection in the 2021-22 season, would give the Lakers a legitimate third scoring option to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis after he averaged 25.7 points per game in the regular season.
Pincus writes that a deal would have to wait until July due to the Lakers being hard capped at the first apron, which expires after June.
“A deal would have to wait until July as Los Angeles currently has a hard cap at the first apron ($172.3 million) that expires after June. It can offer up to three first-round and up to five second-round picks for Young. Along with firsts in 2029 and 2031, the Lakers could send either 2024 or 2025 (the New Orleans Pelicans have the right to either, making that decision after the lottery but before the draft). If 2024, L.A. would execute the pick in June on behalf of Atlanta, in conjunction with a pre-arranged trade.
“The Lakers must send at least $43 million in outgoing salary to avoid a 2024-25 hard cap at the first apron (projected to be $178.7 million). If they’re willing to be hard-capped, that outgoing amount can dip to $34.2 million, but that might be impractical if James returns in the $50 million range.”
Lakers Looking for Another Star
The Los Angeles Lakers decided to not make a move during the NBA trade deadline, giving them an opportunity to pursue talent in the offseason. With the offseason approaching, the Lakers will have three tradeable first-round picks, pick swaps, second-round picks, a young talent in Austin Reaves, and other moveable salaries.
Matt Levine of Sports Illustrated wrote on March 2 about the Lakers’ potential offseason plans.
“The Lakers will be armed with three first-round draft picks to trade away this summer after they elected to stand pat at the trade deadline. It’s been speculated that the team will look to make a big splash this offseason, by adding another star to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis.”
Sam Amick, Anthony Slater, and Jovan Buha of The Athletic on February 14 hinted at Young being an option for the team in the offseason.
“The Lakers plan to continue their quest for a third star this summer, armed with as many as three first-round picks, four pick swaps and multiple second-round picks to make a compelling offer for any available star. According to team sources, the organization has discussed three names internally: Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell and Irving.”
How Young Would Help Los Angeles
The offensive production from Young would help the Los Angeles Lakers, as evident by his four straight seasons averaging at least 25.3 points per game.
Young has also put up impressive assist numbers, dishing out over 9.3 per game in each of his last five seasons. His production has earned him three All-Star nods, an Eastern Conference Finals run, and he became the second player to lead the league in total points and total assists in the 2021-22 season.
The Lakers would also give him an opportunity to not have to be the best player on the floor each night, unlike what he has to do with the Atlanta Hawks,