A massive trade proposal has the Los Angeles Lakers acquiring a recent and former top five draft pick to bolster their All-Star tandem.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis helped the Lakers to a surprise Western Conference Finals trip as a No. 7 seed. They were ultimately swept by the eventual Denver Nuggets, who defeated the Miami Heat in five games to win the franchise’s first championship.
It’s clear that the Lakers need more scoring depth to complement the 38-year-old James and the injury-prone Davis. At NBA Analysis Network, James Piercey proposed a blockbuster trade that lands the team a young and dynamic guard to address the void.
Piercey proposed a deal that has the Lakers landing Jalen Suggs from the Orlando Magic in exchange for Jarred Vanderbilt:
“This is a risky move for the Lakers. Still, it could come with an enormous payoff. It’s easy to forget, but Suggs was the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. This is a player with an impressive pedigree.
Meanwhile, his NBA track record hasn’t been all bad. Suggs is an outstanding defender. He’s also a good passer who can set up teammates for easy looks.
Why not take a gamble on him? Suggs could be this team’s point guard of the future. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt fell out of this team’s rotation this year anyway. The Lakers might as well flip him for a younger player.”
Suggs was widely expected to be a top-four pick in 2021, but the Toronto Raptors went off the board and selected Scottie Barnes with the No. 4 selection. With the next pick, Suggs went fifth overall to Orlando.
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Through is first two seasons, Suggs has averaged just 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He has made just 27.1 percent of three-point attempts while also shooting 38.7 percent from the field.
Perhaps Suggs would greatly benefit from a change of scenery, and working alongside James and Davis could help him unlock his potential. Whether or not Orlando is willing to give up on Suggs this early, however, remains to be seen.
