Lakers Jazz 6-for-1 plan, Markkanen or Los Angeles team up with Dongzhan to chase the championship

According to US sports media F/W columnist Siddhant Gupta, the Lakers spent most of the offseason trying to build a championship lineup. While their efforts have allowed them to assemble a strong team and sign some solid free-agent prospects, it's clear based on their recent preseason performance that the Lakers are still a long way from being a contender. Since Doncic's contract extension, the Lakers' front office has shown a tendency to make bigger moves, with reports suggesting the team is not opposed to triggering trades to improve the roster. While several potential targets have been outlined, B/R's Andy Bailey floated a trade idea that would help the Lakers acquire the highly sought-after talent.

The Lakers get: Markkanen

The Jazz get: Reeves, Kleber, Knecht, 2026 and 2032 first-round picks, 2028 first-round pick swap

This trade proposal may not be perfect, but it has also provided positive help to both parties. Here we focus on analyzing the impact on the Lakers. Markkanen has long been linked to the Lakers. Although the possibility of adding Markkanen and Kessler arose earlier in the offseason, the Jazz shut down negotiations after expressing their intent to retain both players.

Markkanen is a very talented offensive player. The 28-year-old has had an impressive run with Finland in EuroBasket, and he's garnered significant trade interest from teams around the league, and rightfully so. The Jazz forward stands 2.16 meters tall and possesses tremendous agility. His size and versatile offensive skills make him a multi-layered scoring threat. All things considered, Markkanen is the complete offensive package. The forward only appeared in 47 games last season due to recurring injuries. However, he still averaged 19 points, 5.9 rebounds and 0.7 steals per game, shooting 42.3% from the field and 34.6% from three-point range.

In this trade scenario, Markkanen would join the Lakers’ East-James duo. The forward's length and floor-spacing ability pair well with the playmaking abilities of the Lakers duo. As a closer, Markkanen has the tools to succeed around them. Bailey also noted that Markkanen's contract ensures he will remain with the Lakers even after James' tenure ends. With that in mind, it seems reasonable to have the forward serve as Doncic's second partner.

For the Lakers, while the logic behind trading Reeves seems sound, it would be unwise for the Purple and Gold to give up on the guard given his value to the team. Additionally, the Purple and Gold have already limited their prospects by trading several draft picks. Considering they have almost no draft capital left, making this trade would deplete their reserves and potentially leave them in limbo down the road. But although this trading plan is somewhat unreasonable, it seems that it can win at the moment; after all, James is about to turn 41 years old, and he will fully pursue the championship in his limited career time. Even if the Lakers' right to speak is restricted, it will not stop him from pressuring the management to build a championship lineup. What do you think?