When the Nuggets gave the Heat two consecutive losses on the road, the big score of the series became 3-1, the Nuggets had already won the game point and were getting closer and closer to the championship, and it was only a matter of time before the Heat were eliminated. This statement is not to sentence the Heat to death, but judging from the scene of the game, this team has almost no room to fight back; Plus the Nuggets don't have the impact of injuries, want a 1-3 comeback in such a situation? Performing seemingly impossible miracles makes it difficult to ascend to heaven.
The former Cavaliers were able to reverse the overturned Warriors, mainly because the opponent's center Bogut left the court injured, the interior lost the defensive barrier, and Curry did not have a cover wall; This gives James and Irving a great chance to turn things around, but the Heat don't have that, so it's only a matter of time before they're eliminated. As a result, as the offseason approaches, we can see a variety of preparations that teams are making to recruit them, just as the Suns are about to cut Paul and bring in younger point guards to share the organizational and scoring pressure for Durant and Booker.
Of course, the Lone Ranger's Irving also asked James if he would like to play in Dallas, trying to help the team build a historic Big Three team like Doncic, Irving, and James. Obviously, the Lakers can't easily let go of the all-time supergiant, after all, he is the team's chief organizer and box office guarantee.
But the Lakers also have a big problem, that is, the organization, defense, and scoring ability on the No. 1 position are not strong, and Russell is likely to be abandoned by the team. While retaining Reeves Jr., the team will bring in a star who is stronger than Russell, so who will he be?
While guessing who the Lakers management will recruit, we have to see what type of players the Lakers need for the roster. In other words, the Lakers must recruit and strengthen the team's shortcomings, so that they can do the right medicine, improve the team's offensive and defensive combat effectiveness, and show championship-level dominance in the new season. With James on the floor, the team's organizational problems won't be prominent, but the defense and scoring stability on the outside is not strong, and the Lakers need a player other than James who can provide both ability and organizational skills.
As a result, the American media Laker Tom provided the Lakers with a "5-for-2" heavyweight trade plan, involving the Lakers and the Hawks, and the specific transaction content is: the Lakers with Beasley, Bamba, Christie, the 19th pick in 2023, and the top five in 2029 to protect the first round as a trade chip, and get the Hawks' Murray and Sadiq Bey.
For the Hawks, the team already has a big ball core like Trae Young, and Murray's presence overlaps with Trae Young's position and shares a lot of the ball, which will limit Trae Young's offense and detrimental to his shooting feeling. We also all know that the core roster of the Hawks team is not stable, Collins and others are rumored to be traded, so the team will become more lively in the offseason, some people will leave, and the roster will inevitably be broken and re-established.
That means the Hawks are entering a rebuilding phase, and in this deal, not only can they be supplemented by inside and outside players, but also two first-round picks, so why not?
Once the Lakers have the opportunity to get a player like Murray who is good offensive and defensive, they will be able to share James' organizational pressure and improve the Lakers' outside defensive ability by the way, which can be described as the best of both worlds. Even if they can't get a top superstar like Irving, the Lakers have established their starting position after keeping Reeves Jr., and James and Murray can also hold the ball and assist, and the Lakers' organizational skills are no longer a shortcoming. The ability to keep a player who is good at grooming offense on the field at all times ensures that the team's offensive floor is not low.
Not only that, Murray is not a player who likes to fight for the ball, he is one of the few best second-in-command in the league who is good on attack and defense. Once he comes to the Lakers, he will continue to play to his strengths during his time at the Spurs, using his long arms to interfere with opponents' offense, and he will become the Lakers' best player on the outside defense.