3 Los Angeles Lakers backup plans after missing out on Pascal Siakam
By Lior Lampert
With two-time All-NBA forward and 2019 NBA Champion Pascal Siakam being traded from the Toronto Raptors to the Indiana Pacers to join forces with All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, a major domino has fallen in the rumor mill landscape leading up to the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline. With Siakam off the board, it will be interesting to see how teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers pivot.
BREAKING: The Indiana Pacers are finalizing a trade to acquire All-Star F Pascal Siakam in a deal that will send Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks to the Toronto Raptors. New Orleans will be a third team in deal, sending Kira Lewis to the Raptors.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 17, 2024
After missing out on the Siakam sweepstakes, the Lakers may be hard-pressed to find a more talented player on the trade market. The fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined with SIakam’s unwillingness to re-sign with any team other than the Raptors always made the pairing a questionable choice. However, there’s no denying that the Lakers need an injection of talent and Siakam could have provided that.
With that said, the Lakers need to consider these backup plans after seeing Siakam get traded to the Pacers.
3. Call up the Brooklyn Nets for Royce O’Neale and/or Dorian Finney-Smith
As the trade deadline approaches, Jovan Buha of The Athletic has expressed the Lakers potential desire to address their needs on the wing and views the Brooklyn Nets as a viable trade partner, with forwards Royce O’Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith regarded as interesting names to watch.
Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Nets are seeking the “equivalent” of two first-round picks in exchange for Finney-Smith. The Lakers do not have the draft capital to make an offer of that caliber unless they’re willing to include Austin Reaves in the deal, which the LA's front office has shown a reluctance to do. Finney-Smith would give the Lakers exactly what they’re looking for in a 3-and-D wing who can defend the opposing team’s best perimeter players while shooting 40 percent from three, but targeting O’Neale may make more sense given what it’d take to acquire him.
O’Neale is in the final year of his contract and makes $9.5 million this season, which is below the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. He brings similar qualities to the table as Finney-Smith, providing solid perimeter defense on one end of the floor while helping space the floor on the offensive side of the court as a 37.4 percent shooter from beyond the arc. His ability to take and make threes at a consistent clip fits nicely next to the likes of James and Davis, making him a solid acquisition for the Lakers.