by lakerevolution » Tue Jun 19, 2018 3:30 pm
Lakers get: Kawhi Leonard
Spurs get: Lonzo Ball, Luol Deng, Kyle Kuzma
Magic get: Joffrey Lauvergne, 2020 Lakers second-round pick, $1.7 million cash (from Lakers)
Kevin Pelton: While the Lakers can't offer San Antonio the kind of future picks that other teams can in a Leonard trade, they could offer promising young talent. This deal would work with either Ball or Brandon Ingram, the most recent two No. 2 overall picks, depending on how the Spurs value the two prospects.
Despite the focus on his poor shooting (42 percent on 2s, 30.5 percent on 3s), Ball rated well by advanced metrics as a rookie because of his versatile contributions. His elite court vision translated into a high assist rate and Ball was an outstanding rebounder for a point guard. He was also an active team defender who rated third among point guards in the defensive component of ESPN's real plus-minus.
Spurs guard Dejounte Murray was one of the two point guards to rate better defensively than Ball, and a Murray-Ball backcourt would have the potential to be one of the NBA's best on defense. An All-Rookie first-team pick, Kuzma averaged 18.6 points per 36 minutes as a rookie, proving a dangerous 3-point shooter with the ability to create off the dribble.
As the price for getting both Ball and Kuzma, San Antonio would have to take on the final two seasons of Deng's contract, which would cut into the team's 2019 cap space. It's possible, however, that the Spurs could rehabilitate Deng into a rotation player and salvage some value from his deal.
To make the trade work with Ball, the two teams would have to find a third partner to take on Lauvergne's salary (under the assumption he picks up his 2018-19 player option). The Magic are an ideal candidate because they currently have enough cap space to take on Lauvergne's contract but are unlikely to use cap space once the league year turns over after the July moratorium. So the only cost of adding Lauvergne would be his actual salary, which the Lakers would cover with cash.