{"id":115114,"date":"2024-12-31T07:00:38","date_gmt":"2024-12-31T12:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=115114"},"modified":"2024-12-31T00:21:55","modified_gmt":"2024-12-31T05:21:55","slug":"lakers-almost-pulled-trigger-for-75-29m-duo-valanciunas-brogdon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/31\/lakers-almost-pulled-trigger-for-75-29m-duo-valanciunas-brogdon\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers Almost Pulled Trigger For $75.29m Duo"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> came close to making a blockbuster trade for Jonas Valanciunas<\/a> and Malcolm Brogdon<\/a>. The two players, with contracts totaling $75.29 million, remain among the league\u2019s most sought-after trade targets. However, the Lakers ultimately pivoted to a more cost-effective solution, acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith<\/a> and Shake Milton<\/a> from the Brooklyn Nets.<\/p>\n

Lakers Almost Pulled Trigger For $75.29m Duo, Jonas Valan\u010di\u016bnas And Malcolm Brogdon<\/h2>\n

Lakers\u2019 Need for a Big Man and Guard<\/h3>\n

Reports<\/a> from NBA insiders Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps indicated the Lakers were actively seeking a big man and a guard. With limited trade assets, the Lakers aimed to address multiple roster deficiencies with a single move. Their primary trade tools included D\u2019Angelo Russell\u2019s<\/a> $18.6 million<\/a> expiring contract and future first-round picks in 2029 and 2031.<\/p>\n

Valanciunas<\/a> and Brogdon emerged as ideal fits for the Lakers\u2019 needs. Valanciunas offers size, rebounding, and interior presence, while Brogdon provides veteran leadership and efficient backcourt scoring. However, assembling a package to acquire both players proved too challenging for the Lakers.<\/p>\n

Jonas Valanciunas: Efficient and Team-Friendly<\/h3>\n

Valanciunas has been a consistent name in trade rumors for months. The bruising center is averaging<\/a> 11.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in just 19.9 minutes per game this season. His shooting efficiency\u201461.4% true shooting\u2014makes him an appealing target for teams needing frontcourt depth.<\/p>\n

The Washington Wizards<\/a> signed Valanciunas to a three-year, $30.3 million<\/a> contract in July. At $9.9 million per year, his deal is team-friendly and easy to match in trades. Valanciunas brings size, rebounding, and screening, making him a valuable addition for any contender.<\/p>\n

Malcolm Brogdon: Proven and Reliable<\/h3>\n

Brogdon, the 2023 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, continues to deliver strong performances despite recovering from thumb surgery. In 14 games this season, Brogdon is averaging<\/a> 14.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. His shooting splits\u201445.5% from the field, 34.1% from three, and 86.7% from the free-throw line\u2014highlight his efficiency as a lead guard.<\/p>\n

Brogdon\u2019s expiring $45.0 million<\/a> contract makes him an attractive trade target for teams seeking short-term upgrades. His ability to thrive in reduced roles and his veteran leadership add to his appeal. For contenders needing bench scoring and stability, Brogdon represents a medium-risk, high-reward acquisition.<\/p>\n

Why the Lakers Chose Finney-Smith and Milton<\/h3>\n

The Lakers ultimately acquired<\/a> Finney-Smith and Milton from the Brooklyn Nets<\/a>. This decision came down to financial flexibility and roster balance. Finney-Smith and Milton earn less than $18 million<\/a> combined this season, compared to Valanciunas and Brogdon\u2019s nearly $33 million total.<\/p>\n

Finney-Smith, a versatile defender, is shooting a career-high 43.5<\/a>% from three-point range. Milton provides reliable bench scoring and playmaking at a fraction of Brogdon\u2019s cost. The trade also allowed the Lakers to reduce their luxury tax burden by over $3 million.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Next for Valanciunas and Brogdon?<\/h3>\n

Despite missing out on the Lakers, Valanciunas and Brogdon remain top targets<\/a> for other NBA teams. Many insiders believe they won\u2019t stay with the Wizards past the February 6, 2025, trade deadline.<\/p>\n

For contenders needing size and depth, Valanciunas and Brogdon offer proven value. Their team-friendly contracts and playoff experience make them ideal additions for teams looking to strengthen their rotations.<\/p>\n

While the Lakers found<\/a> a more affordable solution, Valanciunas and Brogdon\u2019s availability ensures they\u2019ll remain key players in the trade market. Their next destinations could significantly impact the balance of power in the NBA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Lakers came close to making a blockbuster trade for Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon. The two players, with contracts totaling $75.29 million, remain among the league\u2019s most sought-after trade targets. However, the Lakers ultimately pivoted to a more cost-effective solution, acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton from the Brooklyn Nets. Lakers Almost […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":115125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,26,4721,18],"tags":[49979,49759,2272,167,609,4975,98,1382,662,3811,49196,49675],"class_list":["post-115114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-lakers","category-trade-rumors","category-wizards","tag-2024-25-nba-season","tag-brian-windhorst","tag-dorian-finney-smith","tag-jonas-valanciunas","tag-malcolm-brogdon","tag-nba-contracts","tag-nba-draft","tag-nba-trade","tag-nba-trade-deadline","tag-shake-milton","tag-sixth-man-of-the-year-award","tag-tim-bontemps"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115114"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115114\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115127,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115114\/revisions\/115127"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}