6 non-star trades Lakers can make to contend

Non-star trades Lakers can make to contend No. 3: Keldon Johnson

Keldon Johnson is one of the more underrated players in the league. He’s a strong shooter from the wing that has seen his efficiency hurt by playing on poor rosters. He’s the type of player who thrives next to stars but looks middling when asked to bear a massive offensive responsibility like he has in San Antonio. Over the past three seasons, he has averaged 19.0 points per game on an effective field goal percentage of 52.7 percent, a small miracle considering his surrounding talent. 

The Lakers, with Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, would put Johnson in a position to succeed on offense and reinvest himself on the defensive end. It’s unlikely he’ll morph into an All-Star, but wings capable of generating league-average offense from scratch that can also knock down shots are incredibly valuable. 

However, the real value in landing Johnson is his incredibly team-friendly contract. He’s owed $20 million this season, but that number descends to $17.5 million in 2025-26 and 2026-27. Cap management isn’t sexy, but it’s incredibly important and Johnson’s contract will allow the Lakers to field a strong top-four and have the resources to build out their roster. 

The Spurs’ prize for sending Johnson to Los Angeles will be an unprotected 2029 first-round pick and D’Angelo Russell. That pick will have tremendous value throughout the league, and Russell will help solve the Spurs’ most pressing issue of not having a reliable point guard. While Russell isn’t a Gregg Popovich type of player, he’s an instant upgrade at point guard and should make life easier for Victor Wembanyama over the next two seasons.