The Los Angeles Lakers can take advantage of the Denver Nuggets’ desire to unload salary this offseason. Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cameron Johnson are three names that could become major names on the market for the right teams. All three players can contribute at a high level to winning basketball, but the Nuggets clearly need to make moves this offseason.
Fadeaway World’s Vishwesha Kumar proposed a three-team trade that would appease all teams involved:
“Los Angeles Lakers receive: Christian Braun, Noah Penda, 2026 Orlando Magic No. 46 pick, 2026 Denver Nuggets No. 49 pick
Denver Nuggets receive: Franz Wagner, Goga Bitadze, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht
Orlando Magic receive: Jamal Murray, DaRon Holmes II”
The other teams involved would get the bigger names of Jamal Murray and Franz Wagner, but the Lakers have a chance to add a new starter without giving up much. Only looking at the Lakers side, the trade would essentially see them losing Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Dalton Knecht as rotation players to obtain Braun.
The Lakers also benefit from getting a couple of second round draft picks at a time when multiple players from most second rounds become rotation pieces in the league. This gives the Lakers more offense and youth as they move forward in the Luka Doncic era.
Austin Reaves Is Gone In This Scenario
The Lakers would add a lot of risk to pull off this scenario since it basically limits them in free agency by taking on Braun’s contract. Austin Reaves is commanding attention from the Brooklyn Nets that could see him becoming too expensive for the Lakers to pay on a long-term max contract.
This trade makes more sense if the Lakers are letting Reaves walk since Braun could replace him in the starting lineup for a cheaper cost. The chances of keeping LeBron James, re-signing their other free agents, and making another trade all grow with the Lakers losing Reaves.
Braun is a good player that could thrive from getting open looks from Doncic and James. However, there would be extra pressure on him to replace a Lakers fan favorite. Braun and Reaves would be compared for the rest of their careers, and the odds are likely Braun will always be worse.
Why Other Teams Would Do This Trade
It is easy to say this trade is a bit overcomplicated and unrealistic at first glance due to the names involved, but the other two teams would have strong incentives. Denver would lose franchise point guard Jamal Murray, but they’d add young star Franz Wagner for a cheaper cost.
Trading Braun’s contract and landing role players from both teams in return gives them depth, while opening the money to sign Peyton Watson. The Nuggets could still trade Gordon or Johnson for a guard to diversify the roster and create a younger timeline around Nikola Jokic.
Orlando would be taking the biggest step forward of adding proven winner Murray over the younger Wagner. Lackluster play when Paolo Banchero and Wagner played together makes it a wise idea to ditch Wagner for a point guard.
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