3 More Trades the Lakers Can Make to Build Around Luka Doncic

Caleb Martin & Eric Gordon

To round out the roster, the Lakers should add more wing depth, perimeter defense, and shooting. Targeting Caleb Martin and Eric Gordon from the Sixers would accomplish exactly that.

Luka Doncic is arguably the best perimeter shot creator in the league right now. He is a one-man offense. He will get himself or his team a good shot every time he has the ball in his hands. His liabilities, similar to LeBron James at this stage of his career, come on the defensive side of the ball.

That is why the Lakers need to surround Luka and LeBron with players who can cover for them defensively. Three-and-D players are the exact prototype the Lakers need to prioritize. Trust Luka and LeBron to carry you offensively and trust the rest of the team to make up for them defensively is a formula that has worked for both players throughout their careers.

With the limited resources remaining for the Lakers, Martin and Gordon are as good as any players they could realistically get. The Sixers are nowhere near title contention this season and will be open to the idea of moving on from veterans for future assets. Instead of paying Martin and Gordon for another season, they will presumably be open to taking a chance on rookie Dalton Knecht and the 25-year-old Jarred Vanderbilt. The Lakers could add a pick swap to sweeten the deal for Philadelphia.

Martin would immediately fill the hole created by Hachimura's departure from the previous deal. He is a strong defender who can guard multiple positions and hit the three at a reasonable three. Gordon, at 36 years old, is not the elite three-and-D player he once was but is still a great shooter who would thrive with the looks he would get playing next to Doncic and LeBron.

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