The Lakers are just 2.5 games ahead of the Warriors in the Western Conference standings, and the idea of either team willingly helping their rivals with a trade feels pretty unlikely. That being said, both teams are being forced to confront the fact that they're nowhere near as good as they hoped to be this year.
The Lakers are just 5-5 in their last 10 games, with double-digit losses to the Kings, Hornets and Trail Blazers, and rank 25th in defensive efficiency. The Warriors are suddenly without Jimmy Butler for the rest of the season, now forced to rely on the disgruntled Jonathan Kuminga and hoping his desire to inflate his trade value and get out of town will keep him motivated. They seem destined to take a step back and, at No. 8 in the West, they absolutely can't afford to.
All that means an unlikely trade could actually be possible. This three-team hypothetical isn't a perfect solution for anyone, but it could shake off the stagnation for both teams and deliver some additional building blocks to the struggling Nets.
- Golden State Warriors receive: Michael Porter Jr., Jarred Vanderbilt
- Los Angeles Lakers receive: Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield, Gary Payton II
- Brooklyn Nets receive: Rui Hachimura, Moses Moody, Dalton Knecht, Gui Santos, Trayce Jackson-Davis, two future first-round picks
Why the Golden State Warriors would trade Jonathan Kuminga to the rival Lakers
The Warriors were already in a tight spot with Jonathan Kuminga — both sides clearly want a trade but all most of his trade value and all of the team's leverage has been eroded. Butler's injury only makes things more complicated. All of a sudden they have a real need for Kuminga, but they aren't winning a title with him taking over for Butler, and it's hard to imagine a deal for him that actually opens their championship window at all this year. (Although, this isn't the only deal that sends Kuminga to the Nets that could work).
Michael Porter Jr. made a lot of sense for them on paper before Butler's injury, even though they reportedly weren't interested in him. He makes even more sense now — an enormous and immediate upgrade over what they'd get from Kuminga in Butler's minutes. Trading for him basically gives up all their flexibility for the rest of Steph Curry's contract and locks them into this core for a last try at another title. But what else is out there that gives them a better shot over the next few years?
The price they pay — a future first, Buddy Hield and Moses Moody — may feel like a lot. But in a vacuum, that's a screaming deal for a 27-year-old, 6-foot-10 forward who shoots 40 percent from beyond the arc and is averaging 25.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He doesn't solve all of their problems, but he solves a lot of them. That could be worth it, even if it means handing the Lakers a player they covet.
Why the Lakers would gamble on Jonathan Kuminga
This one is the hardest to figure. The Lakers have elite scoring and shot-creation in Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves. The problem is that the rest of the supporting cast is seriously lacking in shooting and defensive connectivity, which means their path to victory is often just asking Luka, LeBron and Austin to outscore the competition on their own.
Kuminga has upside, but he's a shaky shooter and certainly not a defensive game-changer. In theory, he's a better defender than Rui Hachimura and a better shooter than Jarred Vanderbilt, but I'm not sure replacing both of those two with Kuminga is really a meaningful upgrade. Still, Rob Pelinka reportedly likes the fit, and it's not the worst idea in the world if the price is low.
In this scenario, the Lakers also address their lack of complementary shooters in a major way by adding Buddy Hield, a player they've been linked to in rumors for like five years. Hield is having a down year, but he's an elite shooter and might actually see more open shots on the Lakers than he does playing off Curry and Green with the Warriors. Gary Payton II is a pretty weak version of Marcus Smart at this point but, as a throw-in, he's at least a nod toward their defensive issues.
So, basically, for the price of a future first-round pick, they turn Dalton Knecht into Buddy Hield and two one-way specialists (Hachimura and Vanderbilt) into a young two-way player with more upside. I still think there could be better deals out there for the Lakers, but I can see some of the appeal here.
Why the Nets would put Michael Porter Jr. on the table
All indications are that the Nets don't really want to trade Porter Jr. He's still in his prime, and having an absolutely incredible season, a real bright spot for a team and fanbase that really needs one. They've spent a lot of time flipping talent for future assets and don't have a ton to show for it, so the exhaustion with that path is understandable.
Still, the math is the same — it's hard to imagine the Nets building a contender around him before his contract expires and signs elsewhere, or he ages out of his prime. His trade value is never going to be higher than it is right now, and this is a pretty decent return. They can pick up two future first-round picks and push them out far enough to come after Curry and LeBron retire and when they have the potential to be a lot more valuable. They also would get Rui Hachimura (to flip in another trade) Moses Moody (who is still just 23 and finally looking like a strong 3-and-D wing) and Dalton Knecht (who is worth a flyer).
It also means, in the aggregate, that the Nets turned Cam Johnson into three future first-round picks, Moody, Knecht and whatever else they can get for Hachimura. That certainly feels like a win.