Lakers predicted to cut ties with point guard in trade for $67 million Jazz star | Sporting News
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year recorded a monster double-double (27 points and 24 rebounds), helping Minnesota advance to the second round of the postseason.
If the Lakers want to hold their own in the interior next year, they could consider a recent trade proposal involving a sixth-year point guard and Utah Jazz star big man.
“The Lakers will always be on the hunt for stars yet are limited in trade assets after acquiring Luka Doncic at the deadline,” Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz wrote Wednesday.
“(Lauri) Markkanen is probably the best level of player Los Angeles can reasonably acquire and would be a strong third option behind Doncic and LeBron James.”
“Adding a 7-footer who can play either forward position and fill short bursts as a stretch five gives the Lakers a ton of versatility with their lineups and helps an offense that ranked 12th out of 16 teams this postseason.”
“This trade (Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber, and a 2031 (unprotected first-round pick) would leave the Lakers with a core of Doncic, Austin Reaves, Markkanen, James, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Jarred Vanderbilt.”
Markkanen is everything teams crave in a big man. The Arizona product can’t be placed in an offensive box.
Whether finishing lobs, stepping out on the perimeter to drill triples, or placing the ball on the hardwood when he possesses an advantageous matchup, Markkanen continues to exhibit why he deserves to join a contender in the offseason.
The 2017 lottery pick averaged 19.0 points and 5.9 assists per game on the lowly 17-65 Jazz, shooting 42.3% from the field and 34.6% from deep in 47 regular-season contests.
Vincent isn’t the contributor the Lakers hoped he’d be when they acquired him from the Miami Heat in 2023, opening the door for them to swing a blockbuster trade for Markkanen in free agency.
