Apart from the Kobe Bryant farewell tour and the chance for fans to witness some throwback performances like his 38-point bombast while beating the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday night, this season is just another step forward in an ongoing rebuild.
L.A. has exciting young players like D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson who position them well for the future. But when it comes to other trade assets teams might covet, the Lakers aren’t exactly flush.
I reached out to Joel Cordes—Bleacher Report’s Associate NBA Editor and resident trade guru—and solicited his opinion on scenarios that might help steer L.A. back on the road to success. From modest to ambitious, the proposals were intriguing.
Let the Great Debate begin.
Low-cost Future Center
To Rockets: Lou Williams, Brandon Bass, Ryan Kelly
To Lakers: Corey Brewer, Donatas Motiejunas
Cordes: The Houston Rockets add a guy who can score off the ball while also handling some facilitating duties for James Harden (which is what the failed Ty Lawson experiment was all about). They also bolster the frontcourt in advance of likely moving Terrence Jones as well (which feels inevitable these days).
Giving up on Donatas Motiejunas is a tough pill for Houston, but he's also been hurt and fallen out of the rotation. He's still a highly skilled big, however, and could be a very intriguing fit at starting center alongside Julius Randle going forward. You jump at this deal if LAL, since Corey Brewer is a high-character guy who could help hold down the SF position for a couple of years until ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
