3 Lakers Bold Predictions Coming Out of the All-Star Break
By Cem Yolbulan
The Lakers Will Add Trae Young in the Offseason
This is more about the offseason than the rest of the season, but considering how huge of a shakeup it would be, it's worth discussing.
The Lakers kept their powder dry at the trade deadline. They avoided making a trade for a minor upgrade for the rest of the season. Even though this was understandably disappointing for Lakers fans, it opened the door for Rob Pelinka to make a splashier move in the offseason.
Los Angeles can now deal three first-round picks plus pick swaps in the offseason. They will have matching salaries like D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Gabe Vincent that they can use in a trade. This creates endless opportunities to bring in a third star.
The most obvious candidate here is Trae Young from the Atlanta Hawks. Rumors surrounding a potential trade have already surfaced in the media. The Hawks are likely going in a different direction after the Young-Dejounte Murray experiment failed. They will look to get as much as they can for Young and the Lakers have a solid package they can offer.
Young is an excellent fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. One of the best pick-and-roll operators and passers in the league, Young is the type of player whom LeBron needs to ease his offensive burden. He can also certainly convince James to stay on for another year as he would make this team an immediate title contender.
As the Hawks fail to make any noise in the postseason, the Trae-to-Los Angeles buzz will increase and the Lakers will have to make some calls in the summer. Watch this space.
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