preface
The Lakers are having an extremely aggressive offseason, and despite their successive summer league defeats, the speed and results of their free agent signings have been a surprise to fans. Although neither Walker nor Schroder were able to stay, the Lakers brought back Reeves and Hachimura at a better price than the market. And multiple rotations have been added to the roster, but inexplicably the Lakers re-signed Russell.
Russell's playoff weaknesses were almost entirely exposed in the series against the Nuggets, which caused his playing time to plummet. The Lakers eventually signed Russell for 2 years, $36 million, but with Russell opting to drop the "no-trade clause," the Lakers have a good chance of trading him mid-season. Lakers News: 8 for 1, Russell's three-way trade plan is out! Thick eyebrows to welcome the best partner of the inner line!
Each takes what he needs, the Timberwolves and Bulls are all good, and the Lakers are fighting for the championship
There will definitely be quite a few big fish in the market before next season's trade deadline, and the Lakers need to find their weaknesses before next season's deadline. Obviously, if they don't bring in another qualified interior this offseason, the Lakers will definitely have a center to add next season. Until then, the Lakers could try to get in touch with the Timberwolves and trade Russell for Towns.
Towns is a three-time All-Star interior lineman, but the Timberwolves have reached an impasse on the inside through a series of operations last season. They ran out of almost everything to bring in Gobert and recently signed Naz Reed. Now that Anderson and Mike Dennis are still competing for playing time, the Timberwolves must give up something appropriately. The Lakers need to use James' final championship window to find the most suitable teammates for him as much as possible.
Russell is the easiest contract to trade on the Lakers' current payroll, and of course, due to the league's recent new rules (recently signed players cannot be traded immediately), the Lakers may have to wait until the middle of next season. US media reporter Tyler Watts also proposed a feasible plan for the deal, the specific details are as follows:
The Lakers sent Hachimura and a first-round pick in '29, as well as two second-round picks to the Timberwolves to get Towns. The Bulls traded Craig and Kobe White to the Timberwolves in exchange for Russell. While Russell's contract is easy to match, it can be a bit problematic if you want to send it back to the Timberwolves. Russell may be upset about what happened to him with the Timberwolves, especially with the sudden trade in the middle of last season.
The Bulls are the perfect third team in the deal, and Lonzo Ball's experience has left the Bulls desperately looking for a new point guard. The Bulls can help achieve salary matching in this deal. The Lakers gave up a trade package of eight village bases and one first-rounder, as well as two second-round picks, similar to the Lone Ranger's trade for Irving last season. If the Timberwolves don't start the season well, both Towns and the Timberwolves executive may consider parting ways.
The Timberwolves can get 3 rotation players from it, and also get 1 first-round pick + 4 second-round picks. The Bulls grabbed Russell, which was a strong addition to their weak backcourt. Lakers fans may not want to see Hachimura leave, after all, his performance in the playoffs last season was obvious to all. But to bring in a No. 3 star, that's the price the Lakers need to pay.
Towns is a space-based interior lineman over 213 who has averaged more than 20+ points per game for seven consecutive seasons, and is also a career center who shoots 39.5% from the outside. This can help James and Thick Brow open up space as much as possible, just imagine what it would be like to surround the 3 stars with Reeves and Vincent, or Vanderbilt.
Of course, the salary aspect is the biggest concern for the Lakers in this deal, as the 4-year contract extension signed by Towns will not take effect until 24 years. On top of that, Downs will be paid $36 million next season before he will have more than 60 million player options in '27. Add to that nearly 170 million salaries. Are the Lakers willing to accept this huge contract while also bearing the salaries of Thick Eyebrows and James?
But that's the price of taking on the third star, just like Wilson at the time. Of course, considering that James is already facing retirement, the Lakers can prepare in advance and trade Towns to prepare for the post. But after the Wei Shao trade, I believe that the Lakers may be a little "talking about the combination of the "Big Three". In particular, there is a first-round pick to be added, and although Towns' outside projection is a highlight for the Lakers, Hachimura's departure will also leave regrets.