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Scotto: The Lakers have been in the news about Dejounte Murray and trade talks surrounding him with D’Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and a 2029 first-round pick. The Hawks are looking, ideally, to clear some salary off the books looking ahead. They don’t want to take back salary, ideally, which is why there would need to be a third team for that type of trade structure to happen with D’Angelo, and his fit with Trae Young wouldn’t be an ideal fit.
As I’ve been surveying the league, I’m trying to brainstorm who would be a good third team that could make sense to take on D’Angelo’s contract. We’ve seen in the news recently that Charlotte is a team that’s willing to take on future contracts for draft picks, but he really wouldn’t fit well there with LaMelo Ball.
I don’t know where they (Charlotte) would be getting a pick from because the Lakers would have to give up their 2029 pick and Hood-Schifino, at least, who they’re kind of marketing as a second first-round pick to fit that equation from Atlanta even though the Hawks took Kobe Bufkin ahead of him.
Some people wonder if the Brooklyn Nets would be willing to take Russell back with Spencer Dinwiddie being involved in a trade to either the Hawks or the Lakers. He’s a proven point guard on an expiring contract. But I’m not sure of Brooklyn’s appetite for Russell to do that.
This leads me to a team that maybe could make sense, the Washington Wizards as the third team. I say this because there have been reports about the Lakers having interest in Tyus Jones. There’s a willingness from Washington to use trade exceptions and use their roster to take on contracts for future draft picks. The question is, where would that pick come from? Is it from Atlanta, the Lakers, or somewhere else if they had to even add a fourth team?
Buha: Right now, you’re highlighting the hurdle, I think, with this trade right now with the Lakers needing to find a third team because that’s how it usually goes. If you’re Atlanta, they don’t want to take back D’Angelo, so you need to find a third team and figure out what you can add to sweeten it to get them involved and then send D’Angelo somewhere else.
You mentioned some of the names I heard out there. Brooklyn, Charlotte, Washington. Detroit and San Antonio also could get involved. It has to be a team willing to take on some bad money, likely a lottery team, that’ll look to recoup assets from the Lakers in the form of a second-round pick or two or a future pick swap. They don’t have another first to trade because it would go to Atlanta in the potential framework of this deal. Right now, this is what the Lakers are trying to figure out. Who can be that third team, what do they have to add to the deal, and are they comfortable with that?
Do they throw in Max Christie, who’s a young 3-and-D prospect they’re high on? He’s not even 21 years old yet, and he’s already played rotation minutes for them last season and this season.
From my understanding, Dejounte Murray is their priority right now. To me, he’d be the most likely trade outcome right now if I was handicapping the odds. I think they’re the favorites to land him. Again, the big hurdle right now is finding that third team.
The longer this process drags out, you risk if another player or two gets moved, and it becomes a game of musical chairs where now Terry Rozier is off the board, and the more movement that happens, you don’t want to be the team that’s left without an upgrade. Maybe that drives up the Dejounte price, and maybe Philadelphia or another suitor gets involved that has assets and can outbid the Lakers.
I think Washington is an interesting team, as you said. I think Brooklyn is another team. Can the Lakers potentially expand that deal and try to get Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, or Royce O’Neale?
Scotto: With Philadelphia, I don’t think Murray and Tyrese Maxey are an ideal fit. I’ve touched on the Knicks as another team that was in the hunt for Murray. That has cooled off. New York currently feels the asking price for Murray is a bit too high right now. It’s one thing for a first-round pick, the expiring contract of Evan Fournier and Quentin Grimes. That package has been kicked around. But that extra first-round pick Atlanta is looking for hasn’t been something that New York has an appetite to move at this point.
Jovan, you touched on the Lakers having Dejounte as their top trade target. I’d say he’s certainly the biggest name they’re looking at, too, and I’d argue on a bigger scale, when you look across the league, he may be the biggest name left on the board.
There was talk about whether Lauri Markkanen would go somewhere? I think that was more wishful thinking from rival executives. He’s likely going to do a renegotiation-and-extension, and I know Bobby Marks agreed with me on that when we did a HoopsHype podcast.
Regarding Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland keeps telling teams he’s not for sale. You go down the list of stars around the league, and there aren’t a lot on the market.
