On December 30th, Beijing time, the Lakers have finally strengthened their roster. Both the Lakers and the Nets have officially announced the completion of a major 5-for-2 trade. The Lakers have posted photos welcoming their two new additions to Los Angeles while bidding farewell to Russell; LeBron James and Anthony Davis lead an 18-man new squad in pursuit of the championship, with Finney-Smith and Milton supporting them.
The Lakers and the Nets have completed a significant 5-for-2 trade. The Lakers sent D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks (2027, 2030, and 2031, all from the Lakers) to Brooklyn, receiving Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton from the Nets.
Through this trade, the Lakers not only acquired Finney-Smith, an excellent defensive player with accurate three-point shooting, but also made their salary cap more flexible and saved $15 million in luxury tax.
ESPN rated this trade, giving the Lakers an A- for successfully strengthening their team, while the Nets received a C+.
After the official announcement of the trade, the Lakers' official account posted photos welcoming Finney-Smith and Milton to Los Angeles and posted photos bidding farewell to Russell and Lewis; the Nets welcomed Russell's return, welcomed Lewis to Brooklyn, and bid farewell to Smith and Milton.
Russell's career with the Lakers has come to an end once again. This season, he played 29 games for the Lakers, averaging 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 0.8 steals per game; throughout his career, he has played five seasons for the Lakers, appearing in 265 games and averaging 15.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game; Russell returned to Brooklyn, where he was traded by the Lakers to the Nets as early as 2017, playing for the Nets from 2017 to 2019 and being selected to the All-Star team in 2019.
Regarding the Lakers' move, Lakers legend Magic Johnson tweeted: "Laker Nation, I am very excited about the arrival of Finney-Smith. He is an excellent defensive player and three-point shooter - exactly what the Lakers need! Pelinka's trade is fantastic, and the Lakers also got Milton!"
The Lakers' new 15+3 championship lineup has been unveiled:
15 regular contract players: James, Davis, Hachimura, Finney-Smith, Reeves, Vincent, Vanderbilt, Christie, Schiffino, Knickert, Wood, Shake Milton, Hayes, Reddish, and Bronny
3 two-way contract players: Koloko, Olivari, and Treola.
American media predicts the Lakers' new starting lineup: James, Davis, Reeves, Christie, and Finney-Smith. Currently, the Lakers have a record of 18 wins and 13 losses, ranking fifth in the West. Will President Pelinka be able to bring in a backup center for the team? We'll have to wait and see.