Why this trade makes sense for the Los Angeles Lakers

While they are one of the best defensive teams in the league, the Lakers can really struggle at times offensively, especially these last few weeks without Anthony Davis. Anytime you lose a star player like Davis, you are going to struggle, but the Lakers’ overall lack of depth has been exposed over the last few weeks. 

Montrezl Harrell is a solid frontcourt player off-the-bench and Kyle Kuzma has been a solid secondary option at both forward positions, but outside of these two guys, the Lakers do not really have much reliable depth on their bench.

Terrence Ross is currently 4th in the league in bench points this season and Khem Birch is a solid low-post threat, but a better rebounder, which is where he will make a difference. Already having the second-best bench scorer in the league in Montrezl Harrell, the Lakers bench could get vastly better with the addition of Terrence Ross. 

RELATED: NBA Trade Rumors: 4 teams in real need of making a change at the NBA trade deadline

Losing Dennis Schroder though would really hurt the Lakers system, especially since he has been such a big part of their scheme this year. This may be the ultimate deal breaker, as the Lakers brought Schroder in with the intent of having him be a starting guard on their championship roster, but there is no denying that both Ross and Birch could make a difference in the Lakers’ championship pursuit. 

It seems highly unlikely that the Lakers would be willing to deal their third best scoring option, especially since they are looking strong in their title defense season, but Rob Pelinka is always looking for ways to improve his current roster. With Schroder being in the final year of his contract, moving him for more value is definitely something to consider.