The Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in '23-24, but they are even more nervous and busy than the teams in the semifinals. There is no other reason for this, because renewing James' contract and selecting a coach are extremely tricky. Whether James stays with the team, the two key points are whether the Lakers can choose a coach that satisfies him, and whether the roster next season can give him hope of winning the championship. Otherwise, it is foreseeable that he will choose to leave, after all, James can choose to become a full free agent in the offseason, and he can leave! And many teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks, are eager for James to join. In this way, the Lakers are naturally nervous and busy.
It is reported that the U.S. media believes that trading and facilitating the most basic Big Three is the key to retaining James, although the outside world has previously mentioned that the latter is likely to renew his contract, but this is not a 100% thing. Cutting Ham is only the first step, the second step is to choose the right head coach, which naturally depends on whether the Lakers can win and whether James is satisfied; The third step is the addition of a third All-Star, after all, James has explained many times this season that he needs help, especially recently in the connection with JJ Redick, he also mentioned that he hopes to have a guard who can create shooting space and is good at breaking through to help him.
To that end, the U.S. media has offered a trade plan, which roughly revolves around players such as Russell (sign-and-trade), Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, and Jalen Hood Schifino who will be selected along with the 2029 first-round pick. The first option is LaVine, the second is Trae Young, and the third is Mitchell (who is expected to include Hachimura and so on), which is the Lakers' most valuable trade option. The first goal is LaVine, who is less difficult to make a deal, the second is Trae Young, and the most difficult is Mitchell! These three All-Stars are basically the Lakers' most likely signings this summer, and James in particular has mentioned his desire for a guard All-Star, which makes it all more and more possible.
Who let Lao Zhan speak? In the eyes of our fans and friends, who will be the third big man of the Los Angeles Lakers among the three All-Star players in the offseason? Who is the best choice? In terms of difficulty, LaVine is the easiest, and in terms of star ability, Mitchell is the most expected, but in the end, we think Trae Young will be the most suitable presence because of his scoring style and organizational advantages. LaVine is prone to injuries and has a well-rounded but not sophisticated style of play, the price Mitchell needs to pay is indeed too great, and the performance so far in this year's playoffs, the Cavaliers are basically not willing to let go. Trae Young can bring playmaking and a threat of three-pointers off the ball, and his individual singles are also very good, and we think the third big man is the most suitable for Davis and James, what do you think?