With the 2023-24 season done and dusted, teams in the NBA now look to prepare for the upcoming one. Needless to say, this one was an unpredictable season. Top teams who were thought to bring their A game ended up in the bottom, while those who weren’t even on the list, a team like OKC Thunder, showcased its mettle with unbelievable performances and topped the West. One of the prominent teams looking to make a comeback and grab the top spot once again is none other than the Los Angeles Lakers.

As such, their free agency is one everybody’s looking forward to. In the latest episode of ‘Laker’s Mailbag’ on Buha’s Block, the podcast run by Jovan Buha of The Athletic, one fan had a crucial question for him. One that Rob Pelinka is asking himself – Could the Lakers get Trae Young and De’Andre Hunter? In a word, ‘No’. Buha provides his reasons for reaching such a conclusion.

“You get your third star. You get a solid wing in De’Andre Hunter, but it costs you all of your key role players around LeBron and it decimates your depth,” he explains. “As we’ve seen through the playoffs, you need a solid seven to eight-man rotation. I think the Lakers would be a player or two or maybe even three short. So I don’t see the Lakers doing this.” On the other hand, it’s no secret that LeBron James is in pursuit of a 5th ring. For the Lakers, it would mean their 18th title, tying with the Boston Celtics, again.

However, their franchise superstar is nearing 40. While the man still plays at an elite level, there have been instances where we saw Father Time catch up to the all-time scoring leader throughout the regular season. So, asking Bron to carry the team on his back or play big minutes at this point is asking for too much. And that’s where the role players come in.

Even so, how would a hypothetical trade scenario look between the two teams?

A trade-off scenario between the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks

Pelinka had hinted that they planned to go big in June and July after a silent trade deadline. And the most circulated chatter was that LA was in the hunt for a third star. One of the top names linked with them at the time was the Hawks star guard, Trae Young. But Buha has a different opinion. He started off by saying that it was “tricky.” It does summarizes the whole scenario. If a trade involving Young and Hunter, who are both franchise superstars, has to go through, the Lakers will have to make it as appealing as possible.

Considering that Anthony Davis or LeBron are off the block, for the trade to be a success, it will look something like this. The Hawks get D’Angelo Russell (that is, if he opts in), Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt in return for Trae Young and De’Andre Hunter. In short, all the middle-sized contracts.

If we were going by the 3rd star theory, then yes, the Lakers now have all their pieces aligned. But that leaves the Los Angeles Lakers with a gigantic hole called roleplayers. And as we saw above, the Purple & Gold taking such a risk seems unlikely.

Hence, as Jovan Buha mentioned in his 26th episode of the ‘Lakers Mailbag’ and again here, “The Lakers have shifted their priorities and are leaning more toward upgrading the supporting cast rather than mortgaging all their assets for a third star.”

What do you make of the whole situation? Would getting a third star solve the Lakers’ problems? Or stick with the current group, upgrade a few bench spots, and start fresh? Lets us know your thoughts!

 But before you go, be sure to check this video of Leonardo Armato’s take on Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese.

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