Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G Lonzo Ball (via sign-and-trade)

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: F Kyle Kuzma, G Talen Horton Tucker (via sign-and-trade), LAL 2021 1st Round Pick (Pick #22)

If the Lakers are able to somehow reach an agreement to bring Lonzo Ball back to Los Angeles, it will cost them quite a bit of assets to do so. Things can get confusing with sign-and-trade deals, especially when both sides are sending a recently signed player, but the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans can probably make a deal work with Talen Horton-Tucker being traded as well. 

Talen Horton-Tucker is also a restricted free agent this offseason and the 20-year-old guard is definitely a valuable, young asset. He averaged just 9.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and shot 45.8% from the floor this season, but the future is definitely bright for Horton-Tucker if he is given opportunities to prove his value. 

The same can be said about Kyle Kuzma, whose role has seemed to decline over the years in Los Angeles. After being drafted 27th overall in 2017 by the Lakers, Kuzma put together a fantastic first two seasons in the league, averaging 17.3 points and 5.9 rebounds, but over the last two seasons since they acquired Anthony Davis, Kuzma has only averaged 12.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and has only shot 34.2% from three-point range. 

While he still holds some value to the Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Analysis Network’s own Evan Massey reported earlier in the offseason that the Lakers are more than willing to trade Kyle Kuzma this offseason. The Pelicans need young talents if they are to lose Lonzo Ball and they would be getting three of them in this trade. 

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New Orleans owns the rights to the 10th pick in the NBA Draft and acquiring the 22nd pick could be very advantageous to them. Not only could they add more young players to their roster next to Ingram and Williamson, but they could finally build a stable core. 

Time and time again, New Orleans seems to screw things up roster wise with their young players and they are forced to start all over again. If they were to lose Lonzo Ball in free agency, this sign-and-trade would finally break this cycle for once and the Pelicans would not have to start from scratch again in terms of trying to build a contending team. He will be a name to watch in NBA trade rumors.

They would probably like to keep Lonzo Ball long-term seeing as how well he has fit in next to Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, but a sign-and-trade is definitely something that the Pelicans front-office needs to consider. The only question though that would remain is if this deal makes sense for them?