The whirlwind of free agency has quieted to a mild breeze, as most big names have either re-signed with their respective teams or found new homes, while the Los Angeles Lakers languished in a more or less static state.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report offered a trade proposal on Wednesday, July 3, that would change that by taking on two substantial salaries from the Portland Trailblazers via the acquisitions of Jerami Grant and Robert Williams III.
“Both would fill needs as big, capable defenders, although Grant has primarily been a scorer since leaving the Denver Nuggets for the Detroit Pistons in 2020,” Pincus wrote. “A combination of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Christian Wood would be enough salary to bring back Grant and Williams without trigging a first-apron hard cap, though the Lakers would be hard-capped. That could require [LeBron] James to take about $4-17 million below the max, though.”
Jerami Grant Precise Type of Wing Upgrade Lakers Need
GettyJerami Grant of the Portland Trailblazers.
James has inked a one-plus-one deal in the two days since Pincus published his proposal, which pays him nearly $104 million over the next two seasons and includes both a no-trade clause as well as a player option in 2025-26.
James would feasibly be within his rights to give back some of that money on the Lakers’ cap sheet for next season to facilitate a trade, though whether he would or not is anyone’s guess. The four-time NBA champion indicated earlier this summer that he would be willing to take a pay cut if it meant the Lakers adding the right kind of player who could help him win a fifth title during his age-40 campaign.
Grant is playing on a five-year, $160 million deal that has four seasons remaining at the total price of $132.4 million and includes a player option in 2027-28. Grant is 30 years old, but he is also the type of defensively versatile and sizable wing (6-foot-7, 210 pounds) who would fit perfectly alongside James and Anthony Davis. The combo forward averaged 21 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season in Portland while shooting 40.2% from behind the arc on 5.1 attempts per game.
Meanwhile, Williams has two years remaining on a four-year deal worth $48 million overall. Williams earned Second-Team All-Defense honors in 2021-22 as a member of the Boston Celtics. However, he played in just 35 regular-season contests for Boston the following season and appeared in just six games last year for the Blazers due to injury.
“The 26-year-old would be a solid upside play for the Lakers, but he’s only potentially available because of his lack of durability,” Pincus wrote.
Lakers Considered Losers Through First Wave of NBA Free Agency
GettyAnthony Davis (left) and LeBron James (right) of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Portland finished dead last in the Western Conference last season and tied with the Charlotte Hornets for the third-worst record in the entire league at 21-61.
Pincus noted that the Blazers have made enough appropriate moves to get themselves out of paying the luxury tax in 2024-25 for a roster that has essentially zero chance of making the playoffs. However, he added that “getting out of big contracts may hold some appeal to them.”
If it does, the Lakers must seriously consider making a play for at least Grant, if not Grant and Williams, considering their first-round playoff exit this spring and the lack of improvement to the roster in the months since.
Chris Herring of ESPN on July 3 included Los Angeles in his free agency losers category for those exact reasons.
“It’s a disappointing reality — the Lakers with two aging but remarkably healthy superstars, and a supporting cast not deep enough for true contention,” Herring wrote.
Like Heavy.com’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy.com
The post Lakers Trade Pitch Flips Russell, Hachimura for $160 Million Wing, Elite Defender appeared first on Heavy.com.