The NBA, the never-ending basketball carnival, is destined to be unusual this year.
In a dizzying season, Lakers manager Pelinka has once again proven himself to be the most risky trader in the league. He paid for seven players and two first-round picks in exchange for Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls and Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns. These two threatening scorers are the most difficult defenders in the league to defend and the most dominant forwards.
With their joining, James will lead the strongest "Big Three" lineup in history, alongside Anthony Davis. This Lakers team strives to become the greatest legend of the century.
So, what did the Lakers pay for this time? What will they get? What kind of far-reaching impact will this big deal have on the Lakers and the entire league? Let's break it down.
What exactly did the Lakers give
In order to get LaVine and Durant from the Bulls and Suns, the Lakers almost put half of the team.
D'Angelo Russell is their number one trade chip. The 83 million superstar is the Lakers' long-standing "salary ammunition", and his high annual salary is the cornerstone of completing this big deal. In addition, the Lakers also let go of veteran Hachimura, potential rookies Hayes and Vincent, and utilitarian player Van der Biao. In addition, they also sent two future first-round picks, which means that the Lakers will not have the right to draft in the draft for the next two years.
In short, the price the Lakers paid was a bit staggering: an All-Star caliber forward, two young players with potential, a reliable bench, plus two future draft picks — almost the equivalent of half a Laker's fighting power. For the average team, such a high price would put them in a long period of rebuilding; But for a giant team like the Lakers, they have enough strength to afford it.
After all, to get a rare player like Durant from the market, you have to do whatever it takes. He had previously rejected a $270 million contract extension from the Suns, making it clear that he would become an unrestricted free agent next season — meaning he was free to choose where he wanted. In this case, the Lakers had no choice but to make the first move, voluntarily giving up a lot of chips in exchange for Durant's explicit verbal commitment to ensure that he could stay in Los Angeles after joining.
This time, the Lakers resolutely cut the meat to facilitate a big deal, which fully demonstrated the courage and determination of manager Pelinka. He was well aware of the Lakers' urgent need to strengthen their offense, so he brutally abandoned many key players just to add another MVP-level scorer to James.
What exactly did the Lakers gain
To describe this deal with 7 for 2 is a slight understatement. In fact, what the Lakers gained was far more valuable than what they gave up.
This time, not only did they get Durant, who averaged 25+ points per game in his career, but they also got Zach LaVine, the Lakers' long-awaited young star.
LaVine is the quintessential new generation of defenders with a well-rounded offensive approach and excellent athleticism. Despite his tall stature, his speed and breakthrough are not at all inferior to those of a traditional short defender. In this season, the 23-year-old LaVine has scored a terrifying statistic of 27.4 points and 6.2 assists and was named the MVP of the All-Star Game. In him, the Lakers saw god-like potential.
Another new signing, Durant, is one of the most difficult players in the league to defend. He was born to score and has the most consistent and inexplicable offensive arsenal in the league, hitting difficult jumpers and easily getting to the basket. This season, he has comfortably scored a league-high 30.8 points and is a strong contender for MVP.
With a Terminator-caliber player like Durant, coupled with the two-guard strategy of LaVine and James, the Lakers' offensive system will be more difficult to defend than ever. The tandem of three super-first-class stars is bound to play the strongest offensive power in NBA history.
On top of that, the 27-year-old Durant is at the peak of his career and will be the league's leading scorer for at least five years. Not only will his addition help the Lakers win championships in a short period of time, but he will also be able to join the young Anthony Davis in ensuring that the Lakers remain strong after the James era ends.
This bold trade move undoubtedly allowed the Lakers to solve the two long-term contradictions of backcourt scoring and future inheritance at one time. They traded dispensable role players for two top rookies and a bright future.
The impact of this trade on the Lakers and the league
The impact of this transaction will be far-reaching and shocking. It heralds the Lakers opening the door to a new era, and at the same time brings drastic changes to the system and ecology of the league.
On the Lakers side. The combination of Durant and James even surpassed the "Heat Twins" during the Jawade period. When they played side by side, none of the teams could stop the Lakers from winning the championship. It will be paired with LaVine, a new generation of would-be MVP-level stars, and top power forwards like Anthony Davis. This is undoubtedly the strongest roster in the history of the Lakers, and James will also lead the Lakers to fulfill his grand promise when he joined - to recover at least four championships for the Lakers.
On the part of the alliance. After Durant joined the Lakers, the league caused a terrifying imbalance in power, and it was difficult for Eastern teams to shake the dominance of the West. At the same time, the problem of lack of talent will be exacerbated, and after the older generation of stars retire, there are not many rookies who can fill the vacancy. This vicious circle greatly reduces the alliance's product power, seriously affecting its commercial value and market appeal. For this reason, there is reason to believe that there will be more quake-magnitude trades this summer – and even the Warriors may choose to rebuild early. At that time, this alliance will be reshuffled and usher in a new pattern.
When the Lakers gather superstars again and declare their ambitions to the world, we have reason to believe that a new era has arrived. This is not only a prelude to the expansion of the Lakers empire, but also a signal for the reincarnation of the entire league. Let's wait and see and witness the new legend of Xiangjiang.