A Lakers-Nuggets trade that could benefit two bitter enemies

The Los Angeles Lakers' offseason was defined by Rob Pelinka's complete unwillingness to do anything productive. That sounds harsh on the surface, but aside from hiring the most obvious and least qualified head coaching candidate and re-signing LeBron James to a near-max contract that was never truly in doubt, Pelinka was wholly inactive. He did add a potential contributor through the draft in Dalton Knecht, but the Lakers were silent throughout free agency and nonexistent in trade circles.

That leaves pretty much the same roster as last season in tact — the same roster that was gentleman's swept out of the first round by the Denver Nuggets. One would expect the Lakers to take their station seriously at some point. We are talking about the Los Angeles Lakers, one of basketball's marquee franchises, and LeBron is entering what could feasibly be the last season of his historic career. The clock is ticking. There's no waiting for the tides to shift.

As for the Nuggets, their offseason didn't go so well either. Russell Westbrook naturally drums up excitement, but odds are he's a replacement-level backup point guard at best. Dario Saric was a nice upgrade in the backup center role, but Denver lost an elite 3-point shooter and bonafide All-Defense candidate in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. That comes just one year after letting Bruce Brown walk to conserve money.

The Nuggets are operating cheaply despite a recent championship, which is unfortunate. Their fans deserve better. As it sits, the Nuggets' depth beyond the starting lineup leaves much to be desired.

Denver needs more bodies. The Lakers need a meaningful talent boost. Perhaps these bitter postseason rivals can strike up a mutually beneficial trade.

Lakers-Nuggets trade to pair Michael Porter Jr. with LeBron James, D'Angelo Russell with Nikola Jokic

One of J.J. Redick's biggest talking points after the Lakers hired him was upping their 3-point volume. Michael Porter Jr. immediately accomplishes that goal as one of the best 3-point shooting wings in the NBA. It won't be cheap, but Porter's contract is enough of a burden — $35.8 million this season and ascending for two more years — that he could be had for a reasonable price. Especially with the Nuggets in desperate need of more bodies. Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report made a compelling pitch for Porter's fit in Los Angeles.

Porter is 6-foot-10 with picturesque mechanics on his jumper. His volume and efficiency were down a smidge in 2023-24 compared to seasons past, but 6.8 attempts and a 39.7 percent conversion rate is still excellent by NBA standards. The Lakers would plug Porter into Hachimura's spot in the lineup, presumably shifting Austin Reaves to "point guard," where he'd split ball-handling duties with LeBron. As for the Lakers' fifth starter, that spot probably belongs to Jarred Vanderbilt or Max Christie.

Denver gives up the best player, but gets two bonafide rotation pieces — perhaps even starters — in addition to draft compensation. That 2031 first-round pick could prove quite valuable down the line, so the Nuggets get immediate returns and something to bank on long term.

D'Angelo Russell is an admittedly wonky fit with the current Nuggets roster, but he's still a productive regular season weapon. The offensive fit next to Nikola Jokic is strong; he's certainly a more useful ball-handler than Russell Westbrook at this point. If the Nuggets can avoid placing any real responsibility on Westbrook's plate, that would be ideal.

Hachimura presumably replaces Porter in the starting lineup. The Nuggets run into their own concerns about 3-point shooting without Porter and KCP, but Hachimura has improved meaningfully in that department (42.2 percent on 3.4 attempts last season) and Russell will get up plenty of shots when he's on the floor.

Both Russell and Hachimura can handle 30-plus minutes a night, depending on game flow. Christian Braun should fare well in KCP's spot, but the Nuggets' bench unit ranks among the worst in the NBA right now. Jokic can only do so much, and Denver has a worrisome history of tanking whenever he's off the floor. That habit won't get better until the front office makes a few moves.

Russell is on an expiring (and very tradable) contracts, while Hachimura's $17 million salary is much easier maneuver around (or with) than Porter's max contract. Jaxson Hayes is a toss-in, but he's also a much better third center and spot rim protector than DeAndre Jordan.

It's always a risk when a contender gives up the best player in a trade, but the Nuggets can justify this swap. The Lakers, meanwhile, get a potential third star to run alongside LeBron and AD. At 26 years old, Porter has plenty of room left to grow, too.

This could truly benefit both sides.