The dust has finally settled! The Los Angeles Lakers have completed a historic five-for-two trade! D'Angelo Russell has been transferred to the Brooklyn Nets, while the Lakers' LeBron James and Anthony Davis have welcomed two powerful new additions.
During the regular season, which has not yet seen many games played, the dynamics of the league's trading market have remained constant. Following the Golden State Warriors' lead in taking action by trading for Schroder and Curry from the Nets as partners, the Lakers have followed suit, actively seeking suitable trade targets among the Nets' player roster. Although the Lakers have always been active in the trading market, they often only express interest without making substantial moves. However, the Lakers' management has now made a decisive move! According to ESPN senior reporter Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Lakers have sent D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round draft picks to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Finney Smith and Shake Milton. This five-for-two trade has officially been completed, adding two strong assistants to James and Davis, significantly enhancing the Lakers' lineup.
Regarding this trade between the Lakers and the Nets, well-known basketball journalist Bobby Marks shared his views. He believes that while the Lakers traded away Russell, they not only successfully strengthened their lineup but also improved salary flexibility, avoiding the second-tier luxury tax threshold. On the other hand, Legion Hoops stated that the Los Angeles Lakers showed great patience in their trading strategy and may wait until the trade deadline on February 6th to take further action. The Lakers' management is carefully evaluating the performance of the current lineup and the value of potential trades to ensure that any trade can maximize the team's competitiveness and prepare fully for the critical stages of the season. Before this trade was concluded, the Lakers had shown keen interest in several players, including Kessler, Sexton, Grant, Lowry, Kuzma, Fultz, and the Kings' star player Fox.
Currently, the Lakers have a record of 18 wins and 13 losses, ranking fifth in the Western Conference. In the first half of the season, the Lakers have performed quite well, leading over fellow Western Conference powerhouses like the Warriors and Suns, with a win rate equal to the Clippers. Compared to last season, the Lakers' overall combat effectiveness has improved. On one hand, core players LeBron James and Anthony Davis have maintained excellent competitive form; the 40-year-old James can still contribute an average of 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, nearing a triple-double. Davis continues to dominate the paint, averaging a large double-double of 26 points and 11.5 rebounds, showing significant improvement in injury conditions and shedding the "glass man" physique. At the same time, role players Hachimura and Reeves continue to show progress, becoming increasingly significant in the team. Rookie Knickert's performance has exceeded expectations, with his shooting ability beyond the three-point line filling some gaps for the Lakers.
However, the Lakers at the beginning of the season also exposed some problems. The primary issue lies in the instability of offensive performance; aside from James and Davis, other players have relatively weaker independent offensive capabilities. Moreover, the Lakers still lack three-point shooters, with only Knickert being difficult to compensate for this deficiency. Additionally, the reserve of frontline players is insufficient, affecting the team's defensive performance, especially in terms of height and wingspan. The absence of forwards Wood and Vanderbilt due to injuries has further exacerbated this issue. Furthermore, Russell's performance this season has also declined; compared to last season's averages of 18.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, a 45.6% field goal percentage, and a 41.5% three-point shooting percentage, this season's averages have dropped to 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, with a field goal percentage slipping to 41.5% and a three-point shooting percentage plummeting to 33.3%.
To address these issues, the Lakers need to strengthen through the trading market. Previously, the Lakers acquired Russell through a trade with Westbrook, which had an immediate effect during the regular season. As a quasi All-Star level player, Russell raised the team's floor. However, in the playoffs, Russell struggled due to his thin physique and inadequate physicality, making it difficult for him to become a ceiling-raiser for the team. With the increased ball handling of Reeves and others, Russell's status within the team also declined, coupled with his poor form, making the Lakers' decision to let him go inevitable. Through this trade, the Lakers' acquisition of Finney Smith became a crucial reinforcement. This season, Smith averaged 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks with the Nets.
Smith, with his height and long arms, excels defensively and is in his prime. More importantly, his outside shooting accuracy has significantly improved this season. Averaging 5.4 attempts per game, he successfully hits 2.4 shots, resulting in a calculated shooting percentage of 43.5%. For the Los Angeles Lakers, acquiring such a top-notch role player who combines three-point shooting with defensive capabilities is undoubtedly a huge surprise. Additionally, the other player the Lakers obtained in the trade, Milton, with his outstanding ability in chaotic situations and his tenacious performance as a substitute, also demonstrates the comprehensive qualities of a swingman, contributing to the team on both offense and defense.
Of course, for the Nets, their goals are already quite clear: they urgently hope to acquire more assets through trades to adopt a tanking strategy in upcoming games and strive for next year's number one draft pick, Flagler. Therefore, the Nets have become the first team this season to initiate a rebuilding plan. So, what will their future prospects be? This is something worth our continued attention.