NBA Trade Deadline 2018: 5 deals Lakers fans will be rooting for

5. Getting a head start (sort of) on bringing LeBron to L.A.

Lakers receive: J.R. Smith

Cavaliers receive: Jordan Clarkson

This particular trade doesn’t really benefit the Lakers in terms of salary cap because J.R. Smith actally makes just over two million more than Clarkson. But, what it does do is bring one of LeBron’s friends to the City of Angels. Another selling point to the world’s greatest basketball player; “hey LeBron, we have one of you good friends over here. You should come play for us!”

That’s probably not the greatest of pitches, because Smith isn’t actually a part of the banana boat gang, but Smith is actually a good friend of James, and has never met a shot he didn’t like. The Lakers are currently the worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA with no signs of actually improving. Adding him to play alongside Ball would almost instantly make life a little bit easier because there’s actually a 3-point threat on the floor.

The Cavaliers might need a shake up. Clarkson is instant offense off the bench, and would probably work well with guys like Jeff Green and Dwayne Wade. The Cavs along with everybody else in the NBA need a role player that’s good enough at one thing to warrant playing time, but not absolutely abysmal at another that leads them to getting run off the floor against Golden State.

The salaries match up, the Lakers get a shooter for Ball and any potential free agent pick up and the Cavs get someone to help their bench. It’s a win-win all the way around.