An intriguing trade proposal has the Los Angeles Lakers filling out a roster weakness from an unlikely source.
The Lakers re-signed Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell to multi-year deals. Their main offseason addition was ex-Miami Heat three-point sniper Gabe Vincent, who joined the Purple and Gold on a three-year deal in free agency worth $33 million.
Though the LeBron James and Anthony Davis-led Lakers’ roster are definitely deep enough to compete for championships, they could still use another strong defender up front. At NBA Analysis Network, James Piercey proposed a trade that has the Lakers landing Boston Celtics’ forward-center Robert Williams III in exchange for Jarred Vanderbilt, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes and a 2029 first-round pick:
“For now, let’s assume Boston would make this deal. If so, the Lakers should be open to it as well. When healthy, Williams III is by far the best player in this deal. His ability to guard across positions makes him one of the best defensive big men in the NBA.
Is this a risk? Yes. Just because Williams III is healthy doesn’t mean that he’ll stay healthy. Still, the defensive potential of a frontcourt led by him and Davis could be too much for the Lakers to pass up on.”
Boston traded its best defensive player, Marcus Smart, to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team deal that saw the C’s land Kristaps Porziņģis from the Washington Wizards. So the Eastern Conference runner-ups might be hesitant about trading another defensive stalwart here in Williams.
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But if the Lakers could somehow land Williams, it would bolster their chances of winning a super-stacked Western Conference. They could’ve surely used a player of his caliber against the Denver Nuggets, who swept LA in the Western Conference Finals last season with relative ease.
