Lakers trade: Three Reasons why the Isaiah Thomas trade is perfect
By Jason Reed
2. Acquiring Isaiah Thomas has a positive effect, regardless of his role
The one thing concerning a lot of people about this trade is the role of Isaiah Thomas on the Lakers and how he will affect the current group of guys. After returning from injury, the Cavaliers seemingly fell apart with Thomas’ lack of production and defense as the center of the discussion.
On the Lakers, Thomas may find himself on the bench behind a mixture of Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. It is understandable to assume that Thomas may simply refuse a bench role or cause locker room disdain. At that point, the Lakers would be hard-pressed to release the all-star gurad.
Regardless of the outcome, it has a positive effect on the Los Angeles Lakers.
Let’s assume Thomas is okay taking a reduced role and proves himself on the Los Angeles Lakers. Thomas could become the sixth man of dreams for Los Angeles solely to increase his own worth, as he is in a contract year.
Then, the Lakers get a much-needed addition to the roster as well as winning experience. If Thomas plays like he did on the Boston Celtics, the Lakers suddenly become a playoff team. And while they may not make it past the first round, the young guys on the team finally get experience winning in the NBA.
On the other hand, if he is released, this gives more court time for both Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart. Hart as come out as a huge addition for the Lakers while Ball has been hurt, tearing it up while he is on the court. When Ball returns, many are scared Hart’s minutes will be gone.
However, with Thomas out and Clarkson no longer in the rotation, this gives Hart as much court time as Clarkson was receiving. Thus, we can continue to see Hart grow and turn into the sleeper pick I predicted him to be. Either way, the Lakers come out positive.