Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F/C Daniel Theis
Houston Rockets Receive: G Kendrick Nunn, C DeAndre Jordan
One of the main reasons why the Lakers have been title contenders the last few years is obviously because of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but it is also because of how good their defense has been. They ranked 3rd in the league in defensive rating during their 2019-20 title season and then they ranked 1st in the league in defensive rating last year.
So far this year, Los Angeles ranks 12th in defensive rating and they are surrendering a league-worst 51.0 points per game in the paint to their opponents. Tightening things up on the interior definitely has to be a priority of this team, especially given that some of the best talents in the Western Conference rely on scoring in the paint.
Nikola Jokic, Ja Morant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Donovan Mitchell and Paul George are just some of the best scorers in the paint out in the Western Conference this season and if the Lakers cannot stop these guys, they will have a hard time being true title threats.
Daniel Theis is not the difference in the Lakers winning a championship, but he is another solid frontcourt option that they could add to their team to help out defensively. His 6’8”, 245 lbs frame makes it tough for opponents to attack him defensively and while he is not known for being an avid rim protector, Theis is able to hold his own against virtually any type of player in this league.
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The only catch is that he is in the first of his four-year contract, something that is not too favorable to Los Angeles. Plus, the Lakers have not even seen Kendrick Nunn on the floor yet due to injuries, so he could wind up giving them a huge boost on the offensive end of the floor like he was known to do in Miami over the years.
Giving up on Nunn and Jordan quickly could be a big mistake for this team, especially since Jordan has not been terrible either. The 33-year-old center is averaging 5.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and is shooting 78.4% from the floor, so it is hard to imagine that Theis could do any better than this given the playing time he would receive in Los Angeles.
As for Houston, what do they really gain from this trade? They signed Daniel Theis with the intent of keeping him over the next couple of seasons as they rebuild and they have really liked the production that he has given them at the power forward and center positions.
With Houston rebuilding, they have no use for a player like DeAndre Jordan and if they had wanted him, they would have acquired him in the James Harden trade with the Nets last year. Maybe Nunn could be of use to them, but they do have younger, more athletic talents in their backcourt, so Kendrick Nunn may not even fit in their long-term plans.
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It is possible that Houston could field calls close to the trade deadline for Daniel Theis, but there is no indication that they are willing to trade him at the moment. On the other side of things, the Lakers may not even be interested in adding Theis given his contract and the fact that he is not an x-factor for this team.
