Lakers trade pitch reunites Klay Thompson with Luka Doncic for horrible return

Reports from a few years ago indicated that the Los Angeles Lakers were the biggest threat to poaching Klay Thompson from the Golden State Warriors. 

Instead, Thompson ended up taking a deal with the Dallas Mavericks, a decision that made sense at the time because they still had Luka Doncic. 

Doncic, eventually traded to the Lakers, likely wouldn't mind having Thompson as his teammate again. The Lakers can use all the shooting they can get, with Dončić even recently suggesting he wants to add more shooting around him.

To do so, the Lakers would have to move some assets, though one recent trade proposal from Sports Illustrated would be a great one to make.

Mavericks Receive: Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht

Lakers Receive: Klay Thompson

“Klay Thompson initially chose to sign with the Mavericks over the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency when he left the Golden State Warriors simply to play with Luka Doncic. When Thompson and Doncic shared the floor, it was nearly impossible to stop, and then Nico Harrison inexplicably traded Doncic,” Austin Veazey wrote.

Vanderbilt and Knecht are decent players in their own right at times, but they're far from what the Lakers really need. 

One of them is one of the worst offensive players in the NBA, and the other doesn't really have much of a role for the Lakers when things get tough in the postseason.

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