3 Trades the Lakers Must Pursue After JJ Redick Hiring

Now that the head coach hire is done, it’s time the Los Angeles Lakers rebuild their roster on the trade market.

The Los Angeles Lakers finally have their head coach. JJ Redick will be the man in charge as the Lakers attempt to win another ring in LeBron James’ final stretch of his career. However, the roster as it is currently constructed is not good enough to contend. Therefore, upgrades are needed on multiple fronts.

Since the Lakers don’t have too much cap space, they will need to rely on the trade market to make these upgrades. They have matching salaries of Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and Austin Reaves in addition to the three first-round picks that they can trade. Here are three deals they must make to get back to contention under JJ Redick.

Dejounte Murray

The Los Angeles Lakers will surely try to trade for another All-Star this summer. Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell will certainly be options but they will either require too big of a trade package or the Lakers will be outbid by other suitors. A more realistic scenario, however, could involve Dejounte Murray of the Atlanta Hawks.

There were reports during the trade deadline that the Lakers were interested in Murray. Those talks didn’t go anywhere as the sides couldn’t agree on the price. Now that the Hawks failed to make the playoffs once again and lucked into the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, they are more likely to part ways with Murray.

The Lakers could make a very competitive offer for the 27-year-old combo guard. A package involving Austin Reaves and a first-round pick should be enough to entice Atlanta.

Rui Hachimura would have to be included to make the salaries work but this is a fair deal for both sides. Losing Reaves will hurt but Murray is a more polished two-way option. He can defend, and provide more physicality, while also being able to create his own shot. He is under contract through 2027 on a team-friendly deal, making him a perfect target for the cash-poor Los Angeles Lakers.

Deni Avdija

The Lakers need more defense and more wing play. They were a very guard-heavy team last year because of their lack of depth at the forward. One of the primary goals this summer should be finding a reliable wing that can guard the best player on the opposing team. Deni Avdija can fill that role.

Because he has been with the Washington Wizards since he was drafted in 2020, Avdija has gone largely under the radar. However, he was one of the most improved players in the league last season, taking a massive jump on the offensive end of the floor. He increased his field-goal percentage to 50.6% and his three-point accuracy to 37.4%. On top of that, he can handle the ball, make plays for his teammates, and run the pick-and-roll.

In addition to his increased offensive efficiency, Avdija has always been a very good defender. He is big, strong, and possesses lateral quickness to stay in front of offensive players. This two-way combination in a 23-year-old is hard to come by.

Therefore, the Lakers should be willing to part ways with two first-round picks to acquire him.

On paper, this may not seem like the 𝓈ℯ𝓍iest trade proposal for Lakers fans. However, it’s time the Lakers focus on impact and production rather than the reputations of the players. Avdija may not have the same name recognition as some of the more popular names but he is much better than most of them.

Plus, Avdija is under team control until the end of the 2027-28 season on a declining, team-friendly deal. The Lakers’ future will be in good hands if they are able to trade for a young player of that caliber.

Dorian Finney-Smith

As the final move in our reshaping of the roster, the Los Angeles Lakers bring in a veteran two-way forward. Dorian Finney-Smith spent the last 1.5 seasons with the Brooklyn Nets after being traded there as part of the Kyrie Irving trade. The 31-year-old is a solid three-and-D wing with an ability to knock down open shots and defend multiple positions.

The Nets aren’t going anywhere and Finney-Smith doesn’t fit their timeline. They should be willing to part ways with him for a couple of second-round picks to go with the salaries of Gabe Vincent and recent first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino.

Finney-Smith provides more size, physicality, and veteran competence to this team. He has been to the Conference Finals with the Dallas Mavericks and has extensive experience playing next to ball-dominant stars like Luka Doncic. He should have no problem fitting in Los Angeles.

After these trades, the Lakers would have a starting lineup of Dejounte Murray, Deni Avdija, Dorian Finney-Smith, Lebron James, and Anthony Davis. There are some shooting and creation concerns here but the defensive upside of that group is off the charts. Plus, by keeping D’Angelo Russell or signing another bench scorer, the Lakers could alleviate some of those offensive concerns.