6 non-star trades Lakers can make to contend

Non-star trades Lakers can make to contend No. 1: Luke Kennard

Luke Kennard has had a poor season, but when right, he’s one of the best 3-point shooters in the league and can even handle a small sampling of on-ball responsibilities. For his career, he’s a 43.5 percent 3-point shooter, and his current 39.4 percent 3-point shooting, a career-worst, would be third on the Lakers by 0.3 percent. Playing off of LeBron James and Anthony Davis would give Kennard a steady stream of open looks and help open up the floor for the Lakers’ All-NBA duo. 

For as great a shooter as Kennard is, he isn’t without his flaws. He’s a poor defender, and playing both him and Reaves could be difficult in the playoffs. However, Kennard’s shooting would allow the Lakers to more easily play Jarred Vanderbilt next to Anthony Davis without tanking their spacing. Kennard has a $14.7 million team option for next season, giving the Lakers a ton of flexibility in the offseason. 

This season should prove to the Grizzlies the value of having another real point guard on the roster. For years, the Grizzlies were able to weather Ja Morant’s absence because they had Tyus Jones waiting in the wings. After shipping him to Washington as part of the Marcus Smart trade, the Grizzlies’ offense has been in the gutter without Morant. With Morant now out for the season due to shoulder surgery, the Grizzlies’ down season could get even worse. 

D’Angelo Russell would help stabilize the Grizzlies’ point guard position this season and would allow them to have another capable point guard next season if he opts into his contract. Morant is an excellent player, but he has never played more than 67 games in a season, and banking on him staying healthy is out of the question. The Grizzlies beat expectations for years by having excellent depth, and 2023-24 is showing the frailties of their current roster.