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The Los Angeles Lakers must improvise if they don’t want to have any regrets by the time the Feb. 5 trade deadline passes.
With Los Angeles no longer able to acquire any of its top targets, the franchise would be wise to do its homework and find new trade options that would benefit it on both ends.
Sports Illustrated’s Ethen Hutton has a trade idea for the 17-time NBA champions that’ll likely fly under the radar. In Hutton’s trade idea, the Lakers would reunite Luka Doncic with a former Dallas Mavericks star and NBA champion (Boston Celtics).
“This could be the final year (LeBron) James, (Luka) Doncic, and (Austin) Reaves share the floor together, as the four-time MVP continues to mull over his NBA future,” Hutton wrote Tuesday. “Adding (Kristaps) Porzingis bolsters the team’s rotation around its big three, while filling needs within the roster.
“He presents superior rebounding ability with efficient three-point production, filling two immediate needs for the team as he gears up to return to the floor. He could also serve as a long-term pairing alongside Reaves and Doncic, should the team work to bring him back.”
The Lakers would send Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, a 2030 first-round pick swap, and a 2032 second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Porzingis in Hutton's trade proposal.
While Porzingis and Doncic didn’t experience much postseason success alongside Doncic in Dallas (he was traded to the Wizards before the 2022 playoffs and missed out on a Western Conference Finals appearance), the dynamic duo had a solid run together in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
The former New York Knicks All-Star averaged 19.9 points per game with Doncic by his side, shooting 45.1% from the field and 33.7% from beyond the arc.
Porzingis has been deemed a unicorn for a reason, as the 30-year-old can slither his way to the lane, drill highly contested fadeaway jumpers in the low post, punish defenders from beyond the arc, and use his 7-foot-2 frame to bother shots around the rim.
The only problem is, Porzingis isn’t a lock to stay healthy. The veteran forward has missed several games in the past few seasons due to unfortunate injuries, which is concerning at this stage of his career.
That said, the fact that Porzingis is a two-way contributor and has already played high-level basketball with Doncic could appeal to the Lakers as they navigate the rest of the trade season.
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