{"id":84124,"date":"2024-07-01T22:20:48","date_gmt":"2024-07-02T02:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=84124"},"modified":"2024-07-01T22:20:48","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T02:20:48","slug":"how-lakers-can-convince-bucks-to-surrender-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/07\/01\/how-lakers-can-convince-bucks-to-surrender-star\/","title":{"rendered":"How Lakers Can Convince Bucks to Surrender Star"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As they look to satisfy their offseason appetite, the Los Angeles Lakers \u201c<a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JakeLFischer\/status\/1807508503797325964\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">have an eye on trading for<\/a>\u201d Milwaukee Bucks center <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lopezbr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brook Lopez<\/a>, per Yahoo Sports insider Jake Fischer.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Context on LeBron James&#8217; potential pay-cut: His exact next deal with the Lakers seems dependent on what talent Los Angeles can add over coming days. In addition to Klay Thompson, sources told <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/YahooSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@YahooSports<\/a> the Lakers have an eye on trading for Brook Lopez: <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/njTZVUprlY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/njTZVUprlY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JakeLFischer\/status\/1807508503797325964?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 30, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The question is: do they have the enough to fit the bill?<\/p>\n<h2>How Lakers Can Convince Bucks to Surrender Brook Lopez<\/h2>\n<h3>Brook Lopez Isn\u2019t Alone<\/h3>\n<p>Portland Trail Blazers forward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/grantje01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jerami Grant<\/a> is worth keeping an eye on, the Lakers <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/07\/01\/lakers-dark-horse-trade-target-if-klay-thompson-heads-to-mavs\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">rumored to have conversed extensively<\/a> with the Blazers about trading for the 30-year-old. With the Utah Jazz now <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/06\/29\/jazz-limbo-lauri-markkanen-after-nets-trade\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">fielding offers for<\/a> rising star <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/markkla01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lauri Markkanen<\/a>, he\u2019s a theoretical option. However, trading for Grant nor Markkanen is likely to be a simple endeavor.<\/p>\n<p>With the Blazers in a rebuild, the player they could have interest in is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hachiru01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rui Hachimura<\/a>. Yet, with Grant making $12.8 million more than Hachimura, the Lakers may also have to trade <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/russeda01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">D\u2019Angelo Russell<\/a> as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/v\/vincega01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gabe Vincent<\/a> has minimal trade value.<\/p>\n<p>This could become a problem from a value and logistical standpoint.<\/p>\n<p>In a vacuum, Grant is more valuable than Hachimura and arguably Russell, but together the two Lakers might bring more to the table than Grant does individually. As the Blazers are unlikely to want to increase Russell\u2019s salary in an extend-and-trade, trading him alone might not be feasible either. On top of that, with Portland\u2019s backcourt situation, Russell is an awkward fit. As a result, L.A. would likely have to reroute him to a third team.<\/p>\n<p>None of this makes the Lakers\u2019 task impossible. Nonetheless, it speaks to the complexity of it.<\/p>\n<h4>The Most Realistic Option<\/h4>\n<p>In the case of Markkanen, Lakers are unlikely to beat out the offers the Jazz can get from the likes of the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have 10 first round picks through the 2028 NBA Draft, giving them the upper hand on Los Angeles in trade negotiations. In fact, the reality that they have limited trade assets is exactly what makes a player like Lopez a realistic target.<\/p>\n<p>At 36 years old, Lopez is still an above-average starter. Nonetheless, because of his age, it would be unreasonable to demand as much as the Jazz would for the 27-year-old Markkanen. With a lower price tag, the ball could very well be in their court.<\/p>\n<p>If so, is the value of adding Lopez worth the exchange?<\/p>\n<h3>Does LA Need Brook Lopez?<\/h3>\n<p>There\u2019s a chance the Lakers could bring Lopez off the bench, but they\u2019d likely start alongside <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/davisan02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Davis<\/a>. This is a testament to his reputation around the league. Despite his advanced age, he\u2019s still a feared shot-blocker and reliable 3-point threat.<\/p>\n<p>Starting Lopez is also an opportunity to move Davis back to power forward. Davis has primarily played center the last two seasons, but he\u2019s a hybrid big man that shouldn\u2019t be pigeonholed at the pivot. Though the Lakers likely won\u2019t be switching much when he\u2019s on the court, their length and basketball IQ should allow them to excel in other defensive schemes.<\/p>\n<p>With Lopez\u2019s ability to stretch the floor, the lane should also clear up for the Lakers\u2019 drives. To compare, Lopez has made 35.2 percent of his 3-pointers over the past eight seasons, whereas Davis has converted 29.9 percent of his. That\u2019s a significant difference and could do plenty to enhance their offense.<\/p>\n<h3>Austin Reaves\u2019s Potential<\/h3>\n<p>A trade for Lopez has its benefits, but it may all come down to how much the Lakers believe in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/reaveau01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Austin Reaves<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Austin Reaves 29 pts 14 rebs 10 asts vs Bucks 23\/24 season\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zVrxoZjsnZU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>If they move Russell to acquire Lopez, Reaves stands to gain the most from it. Reaves has a relatively modest career-high of 15.9 points per game.<\/p>\n<p>However, increased opportunities could lead to higher production. The 26-year-old has routinely flashed star potential, his pace and craftiness underscored by advanced ball-handling ability and shooting touch. As Reaves believes he\u2019s more of a point guard, this also him to hone in on his playmaking. A shrewd facilitator, putting the ball in his hands more isn\u2019t a bad idea.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As they look to satisfy their offseason appetite, the Los Angeles Lakers \u201chave an eye on trading for\u201d Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez, per Yahoo Sports insider Jake Fischer. Context on LeBron James&#8217; potential pay-cut: His exact next deal with the Lakers seems dependent on what talent Los Angeles can add over coming days. In [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5008,"featured_media":84150,"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":[62,1608,26,15,23,4721,24],"tags":[4556,233,307,4774],"class_list":["post-84124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-lakers","category-bucks","category-trailblazers","category-trade-rumors","category-jazz","tag-austin-reaves","tag-brook-lopez","tag-dangelo-russell","tag-rumors"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84124","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\/5008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84124"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84124\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84150"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}