Fansided

Pre-Christmas trades to shake up the NBA

By Brandon Jefferson

NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 11: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans boxes out against Otto Porter Jr. #22 of the Washington Wizards on December 11, 2015 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/NBAE via Getty Images
NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 11: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans boxes out against Otto Porter Jr. #22 of the Washington Wizards on December 11, 2015 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/NBAE via Getty Images /
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3. Brandon Ingram to the Atlanta Hawks for Taurean Prince and Tyler Dorsey

The Los Angeles Lakers somehow managed to sell LeBron James on the idea of having young talent in hand that could grow with him when they pitched him as a free agent. So far the team has performed right around expectations, but unless James is ready to pitch in another Herculean effort in the postseason, this Lakers team doesn’t look the part of a true contender yet.

One player that has had the hardest time adjusting to playing with LeBron is former second overall pick, Brandon Ingram. Playing alongside James hasn’t been the boost for the third-year forward as many had expected. Instead, Ingram’s inability to play without the ball and penchant for taking mid-range and long 2-pointers has clashed with James’ style.

Yet, when Ingram is on the floor without James, the potential and skill that made Ingram a shoe-in for the number two pick is on full display. In the past we’ve seen Ingram operate as a point-forward to varying degrees of success, but at this point, it is clear that he is at his most comfortable when he has the ball in his hands.

In Atlanta, swingman Taurean Prince has tried to take on a bigger role offensively operating alongside 2018 first-round pick Trae Young. The results have been mixed at best, but for a rebuilding Hawks team the point is to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.

In this situation though, Prince has shown to be a valuable commodity in today’s NBA and a piece that any contending team could use. Los Angeles needs to surround LeBron with much more shooting than they currently have and bringing in a player like Prince definitely accomplishes that. When committed, Prince has also shown flashes of being an impactful defender and with him, Josh Hart, and Lonzo Ball on the wings it’ll allow James to take a backseat as a primary defender.

For the Hawks, Ingram gives them another young piece to grow with their core (Young, John Collins, Kevin Huerter, and Omari Spellman) while giving Ingram a fresh start away from the fishbowl that is the Lakers organization.

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