A 3-team Trade Idea to Help the Los Angeles Lakers Move D’Angelo Russell

A 3-Team Trade Idea to Help the Los Angeles Lakers Move D’Angelo Russell0 of 4

D’Angelo RussellWally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The rumor mill never stops in the NBA.

We may be beyond the draft, summer league and the most exciting weeks of free agency, but new buzz can get that mill rolling at a moment’s notice.

This week, that came courtesy of the Los Angeles Lakers, who’ve reportedly been shopping D’Angelo Russell since he opted into the final year of his contract.

The 28-year-old playmaker’s defense has become a real problem for L.A. in each of the last two postseasons. However, his shooting and playmaking could do a lot for an Orlando Magic team that could use more offensive punch, and his salary could help the Portland Trail Blazers unload Jerami Grant.

We’ve cooked up a three-team trade which accomplishes that and more.

The Deal1 of 4

Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Jerami Grant and LeBron JamesHarry How/Getty Images

As always, before we dive into why each team would take the deal, it helps to get a look at the entire framework in one glance.

Lakers Receive: Jerami Grant and Cole Anthony

Lakers Lose: D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jalen Hood-Schifino, a top-three protected 2029 first-round pick and a 2030 second-round pick

Blazers Receive: Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jett Howard, a 2025 first-round pick from Orlando (via Denver) and a top-three protected 2029 first-round pick from Los Angeles

Blazers Lose: Jerami Grant and a 2028 second-round pick (via Golden State)

Magic Receive: D’Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2028 second-round pick from Portland (via Golden State) and a 2030 second-round pick from Los Angeles

Magic Lose: Cole Anthony, Jett Howard and a 2025 first-round pick (via Denver)

Feel free to quibble over some of the smaller pieces here. It’s the core players like Grant, Russell and Anthony who matter most to L.A. and Orlando, and the picks are key for Portland.

There are solid arguments for all three teams to sign up for this exact package.

Lakers Load Up2 of 4

Cole AnthonyLauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images

Lakers Receive: Jerami Grant and Cole Anthony

Lakers Lose: D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jalen Hood-Schifino, a top-three protected 2029 first-round pick and a 2030 second-round pick

With the exception of 23-year-old rookie Dalton Knecht and the most-talked-about No. 55 pick in NBA history, the Lakers are essentially running it back with a team that finished shy of 50 wins in the regular season and got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.

If it doesn’t do anything else this summer, the biggest difference for L.A. could very well be the fact that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both a year older.

Playing out the final stretch of LeBron’s career in a sort of organic way and hanging on to as many future picks as possible is a justifiable stance, but Lakers fans (and LeBron himself) might get restless. The status quo probably won’t make the Lakers contenders, especially with several other teams in the West improving this offseason.

If the Lakers can’t land a third superstar to go with James and AD, something along these lines is probably the next best bet to threaten that top tier.

In a vacuum, Cole Anthony is slightly worse than Russell, but he’s younger and would likely have no problem coming off the bench. That’d clear the way for Austin Reaves to start as the Lakers’ nominal point guard and make the entire starting lineup bigger.

The more important acquisition is Grant. The 30-year-old wing has proven to be a reliable three-point shooter and 20-point-per-game scorer with the Detroit Pistons and Portland. In lineups with LeBron and Davis, his lack of rebounding wouldn’t be as damaging.

L.A. would be giving up a starter, multiple potential rotation players and some picks, but the resulting roster would be better. That’s an improvement over the status quo.

Blazers Add Blocks to the Rebuild3 of 4

Jett HowardAdam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images

Blazers Receive: Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jett Howard, a 2025 first-round pick from Orlando (via Denver) and a top-three protected 2029 first-round pick from Los Angeles

Blazers Lose: Jerami Grant and a 2028 second-round pick (via Golden State)

It’s not hard to see the value in this trade for Portland.

The Blazers are likely to be the in the hunt for the West’s worst record this season. A win-now player like Jerami Grant doesn’t do much for them. In fact, his contract, which runs through 2027-28 (when he has a $36.4 million player option), is arguably a bad thing to have on the books of a rebuilding team.

This deal removes that and gives Portland multiple draft picks, some unrealized potential from Jett Howard and veterans who should be movable in Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt.

Orlando Juices Its Bench4 of 4

Anthony Black and D’Angelo RussellRich Storry/Getty Images

Magic Receive: D’Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2028 second-round pick from Portland (via Golden State) and a 2030 second-round pick from Los Angeles

Magic Lose: Cole Anthony, Jett Howard and a 2025 first-round pick (via Denver)

Russell is likely a short-term upgrade over Anthony. He’s a more reliable outside shooter and was flat-out better statistically last season.

The Magic wouldn’t necessarily need (or even want) him to start, but there’s an argument for that approach. Taking some pressure off Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner could help their collective efficiency, but there’s also value in continuing to develop their on-ball prowess.

As the lead playmaker for a second unit that would likely include Gary Harris, Tristan da Silva, Jonathan Isaac and Mo Wagner, Russell would be a real threat for Sixth Man of the Year. He could still spend plenty of time alongside the up-and-coming stars, depending on how Orlando worked its rotation.

Granted, giving up a 24-year-old heat-check scorer in Anthony, a potential three-and-D wing in Howard and a first-round pick is far from nothing. The pick alone will probably give Magic fans pause.

But this deal exchanges potential for potential by including Jalen Hood-Schifino. Russell would push Orlando a bit closer to immediate contention than Anthony. And the Magic would still have their own 2025 first-round pick, while the Denver first-rounder figures to be near the end of that round.