Grade the trade: Bold 3-team proposal pairs LaMelo Ball and LeBron James in LA

The Los Angeles Lakers haven't made an outside addition to the roster this offseason aside from selecting Dalton Knecht and Bronny James in the NBA Draft. As LeBron James approaches his age-40 season, it is borderline negligent for Los Angeles to not meaningfully upgrade the roster. There's still time, but frankly, Rob Pelinka hasn't done much over the last couple years to prove that his priorities are in the right place.

As front offices league-wide reckon with the new collective bargaining agreement, there is new skepticism about the viability of the 'Big Three,' three-star model that LeBron once popularized with the Miami Heat. A few teams are plowing forward, full steam ahead (Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers), while others are reassessing their financial game plan (Los Angeles Clippers).

The Lakers appear to fall in the latter category. After initial buzz connecting the Lakers to Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, and other potential All-Stars via trade, those rumors steadily faded. Now, here we are, with Los Angeles essentially standing pat.

Maybe Pelinka doesn't want to deal with the financial ramifications of trading for another star. "Cheap" is a popular word used to describe Lakers management these days. That said, if the Lakers decide to get aggressive in the waning years of LeBron's career, options exist.

Over at Bleacher Report, Grant Hughes has proposed a three-deal megadeal to land Los Angeles its third star, roping in the Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings to shake the foundation of the NBA.

Here are the full details.

Lakers, Hornets, Kings 3-team trade to pair LaMelo Ball and LeBron James in Los Angeles

Los Angeles Lakers receive: LaMelo Ball
Charlotte Hornets receive: Kevin Huerter, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent, 2026 first-round pick swap (LAL), 2028 first-round pick swap (2028), 2029 first-round pick (LAL), 2031 first-round pick (LAL), 2025 second-round pick (most favorable of LAL or LAC), 2026 second-round pick (SAC), 2030 second-round pick (LAL)
Sacramento Kings receive: Rui Hachimura

As far as three-team trades that will never happen go, this one's pretty solid. There's logic here for all (or at least most) of the parties involved.

The Lakers are the obvious risk-takers here. Charlotte essentially cleans out the Lakers' future draft cache, leaving Los Angeles wholly invested in the present roster. LaMelo Ball is worth it, though. If not for injuries, in fact, there wouldn't be much to argue here. LaMelo raises the Lakers' floor and their ceiling. He elevates teammates, works well in a complementary role, and supplies Los Angeles with a bankable point guard (finally!).

The Lakers aren't giving up much beyond their draft picks. Jalen Hood-Schifino is hopelessly buried in the depth chart, the Gabe Vincent signing was a bust, and Dalton Knecht is a fine prospect, but he's not going to meaningfully improve the Lakers' competitive odds. Rui Hachimura is the standout in terms of outgoing players, but between his contract ($17 million) and his inconsistency on defense, teams aren't falling over themselves to acquire the 26-year-old.

In total, it's a large outgoing package for the Lakers. The future becomes the now, so the speak. But LaMelo is a seriously gifted offensive engine, and the unique sort of point guard who doesn't need to dominate touches to impact winning. He processes the game at light speed, slings high-level passes from every angle, and is perfectly comfortable bombing spot-up 3s. He would complement LeBron beautifully and give J.J. Redick another volume shooter to incorperate into the offense.

Ball has been hurt a ton in recent years — 36 games in 2022-23, and 22 games in 2023-24 — but he's also 22 years old, with a ton of room for growth in the coming seasons. The Lakers adding a third star who can serve as a foundational piece once LeBron retires is ideal. LaMelo accomplishes that. Plus, LaVar finally gets his wish.

Lakers grade: B+

Now, for the Hornets. LaMelo is 22 years old and the best player on the team. In that sense, it's hard to justify trading him. Why give up your cornerstone as a rebuilding franchise, when one of the best outcomes you could hope for is to draft another LaMelo?

That said, injuries have been a plague for this Hornets team. It's hard to build around somebody who is never on the court. The emergence of Brandon Miller also changes the calculus a bit. There are some who believe he is the true centerpiece of Charlotte's team, and perhaps trading LaMelo can clear the runway for Miller to develop into a proper 1A star.

LaMelo and Miller can absolutely coexist, to be clear. But in today's league, when teams are looking to jump through hoops financially, Miller's rookie contract is much easier to navigate than Ball's max contract. That, too, is a factor.

Two solid prospects in Knecht and Hood-Schifino, as well as Kevin Huerter's 3-and-D contributions, two first-round picks, and two first-round pick swaps, is a nice haul. Huerter could return another first-round pick in a future trade and Knecht was well-documented as a prospect of interest for Charlotte before the draft (he is also older than LaMelo, though, for what it's worth).

Overall, it's a fine return. Not the best for a 22-year-old All-Star with years of team control left on his deal, but considering LaMelo's injury history, this might be pushing the upper limits of his price range.

Hornets grade: C+

The Kings sneak in the backdoor and essentially swap Kevin Huerter and a second-round pick for Rui Hachimura. That's where this trade loses me a bit. Stranger and far worse trades have occurred, so it's not even unbelievable. It's more so just... underwhelming.

Huerter struggled last season, but on balance, he's a better player than Hachimura. He's younger, with solid defensive chops, a picturesque 3-point stroke, and underrated skill as a connective ball-handler and passer. With Sacramento investing in the funky mid-range game of DeMar DeRozan, Huerter's volume shooting feels especially useful on the perimeter.

So, this is a trade the Kings should probably shy away from. There's no reason to believe Charlotte and Los Angeles can't find a taker for Hachimura elsewhere, though.

Kings grade: D