Much to the frustration of Lakers fans, GM Rob Pelinka and the front office have not made any significant moves this offseason. They drafted Dalton Knecht and Bronny James but the rest of the team is the same from a year ago. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis one year older, it's hard to see how this team that lost in the first round last year will contend for a championship in the 2024-25 season.
Unless Pelinka gets his head out of the sand. The Lakers still have some draft capital and matching salary to pull off a trade before the start of the season. Zach Buckley of the Bleacher Report came up with a mock trade proposal that could help save the Lakers offseason. In his proposal, the Lakers finally add a third star next to LeBron and Davis by trading for Jerami Grant of the Portland Trail Blazers. The details of the move are as follows:
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Jerami Grant and Duop Reath
Portland Trail Blazers receive: D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2025 second-round pick (via LAC)
In terms of the packages coming in and going out, this is a fair deal for both sides. The Blazers have reportedly asked for two first-round picks for Grant but considering his age and contract status, that is not going to happen. As good as Grant is, he is a 30-year-old who never sniffed an All-Star appearance with four more years of over $30 million annual salary left on his deal.
The Lakers desperately need to move on from D'Angelo Russell. He has shown that he is not a good fit for this team, especially in the postseason. Using his salary in a trade like this makes a ton of sense for Los Angeles.
However, this move likely isn't enough to catapult the Lakers into championship contention. Fortunately, they would have the 2031 first-round pick that they can trade after this deal. If they manage to add another starter-caliber player with that asset, then the fans could start talking themselves into this team being a real Western Conference contender.
