After beating the Thunder to win three straight, the Lakers have an overall record of 37-37, and at the end of the regular season, the Lakers finally reached a 50% winning percentage. More importantly, after this victory, the Lakers finally squeezed into the top 8 in the West. If they can maintain their current ranking, the Lakers will get a ticket to the playoffs. But for Lakers management, whether or not the team advances to the playoffs, the Lakers must improve their overall strength through a trade this summer to persuade James to stay on the team and avoid the collapse of James' combination and the team's box office shock.
According to US media reports, Russell, who returned to the Lakers, hopes that the team can provide him with a 5-year, $180 million contract extension. And the extension of the contract of Japanese star Hachimura has not progressed. According to the latest news from the "Bleachers" in the United States, the Lakers are very likely to send Russell and Hachimura away in a 5-for-1 trade in the summer, and Reeves, a young player who has performed well recently, has also become one of the Lakers' trade chips. In order to help the Lakers complete the deal and restructure the Big Three. The specific content of this deal is: the Lakers send Russell, Rivers, Hachimura and the 2029 first-round pick and 2030 first-round pick swap rights as trade chips to the Portland Blazers to get their star Lillard. With the Blazers ranking just above the Rockets and Spurs this season, the Blazers are likely to embark on a rebuild journey, and Lillard, synonymous with league loyalty, is likely to say goodbye to his beloved Rose Garden Stadium.
Last summer, Lillard agreed an early contract extension with the Blazers for more than $120 million over two years. His contract with the Blazers ends in 2027, bringing Lillard's maximum annual salary to more than $60 million. This is not conducive to the team's rebuilding efforts, so Blazers management is likely to trade Lillard in exchange for rebuilding chips. To get rid of Lillard's high-paying contract, the Blazers opted to sell him to the Lakers at a low price. Otherwise, it would be impossible to complete Lillard's trade with this offer from the Lakers. Lillard, the star of the Blazers, has unlimited firepower, and Lillard has been averaging 32+7 per game this season. And also completed a single performance with 71 points. Interestingly, before the Lakers completed a small deal, James and Thick Eyebrows once invited Lillard to join the Lakers, and the three had a long-term conversation in James' villa, but in the end, the Lakers management chose to be micro-high, resulting in Lillard's deal falling through, and if this 5-for-1 deal is reached, Lillard can also fulfill the dream that the Lakers can fight side by side with James and Thick Eyebrows.
The excellent offensive ability and key ball ability against Ladd can reduce the pressure on James. And James is likely to cede the team's main offensive power to focus on the team's organizational work. And thick eyebrows are still the indispensable interior core of the Lakers, and the combination of these three people will make the Lakers' roster more reasonable, and they also have the strength to impact championships and act as Western Conference spoilers.