Why The Los Angeles Lakers Do The Deal

The idea of the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz making a deal together this summer is not novel. With that said, most proposals have them making a bigger trade than this one.

Generally, Russell Westbrook is involved. A deal that sends him to the Jazz for some combination of Beasley, Mike Conley, and Bojan Bogdanovic could make sense for both sides. On the other hand, the Lakers could prefer this deal.

Simply put, they’re giving up less to get back less. For the Jazz to send them that many quality pieces, they’ll need more than a protected first back. In all likelihood, they’d be looking for something in the ballpark of two unprotected picks and a swap.

The Lakers could use the draft capital they’re saving here in a separate transaction. Alternatively, they could hold onto it for a rainy day.

LATEST NBA NEWS AND RUMORS: 3 Trades To Send Los Angeles Lakers’ Russell Westbrook To Utah Jazz

After all, with James and Westbrook aging, Davis’s injury concerns and the fit between the three, that day may be coming sooner than they’d hope.