Link to LeBron James and the Lakers is Cut Directly in Rumored All-Star Trade Target

Link to LeBron James and the Lakers is Cut Directly in Rumored All-Star Trade Target

In order to get ready for the 2024–2025 season, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers may want to make roster changes during the 2024 offseason. Los Angeles is in a win-now mindset in a very competitive Western Conference, while Milwaukee has to become younger.

For the past two years, the Bucks have fallen short in the NBA Playoffs’ opening round. The Indiana Pacers eliminated them after six games. The Eastern Conference’s third seed was Milwaukee. Due to injuries, Damian Lillard missed Games 4 and 5, and Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the entire series because of a strained left calf.

This offseason, Fran Leiva of fadeawayworld.net suggested a trade for the Bucks and the Lakers. D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, a 2024 first-round selection (17th overall), and a 2029 first-round pick for Damian Lillard would be acquired by Milwaukee from Los Angeles.

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Leiva provided the following justifications for the Lakers and Bucks making this trade:

With an effort to make the most of LeBron James’ remaining years, the Lakers traded for Damian Lillard with the hopes that Lillard will play a key role in another championship run. Lillard had a disappointing season, but he still put up respectable stats: across 73 games, he averaged 24.3 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.4 rebounds. Conversely, D’Angelo Russell had a fantastic season, excelling especially outside of the storyline. His 76-game season averages of 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds demonstrated his worth as a dependable playmaker and scorer. His postseason performance, meanwhile, was less stellar, highlighting the necessity.

To overcome their competitors in the Western Conference, the Lakers want a scoring guard. Los Angeles’ five-game losing streak against the Denver Nuggets this season was not caused by Anthony Davis or Lebron James. For the Los Angeles Lakers, D’Angelo Russell vanished in significant areas.

The Milwaukee Bucks are dedicated to making it work with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard as the top two players, so this would not be a wise decision. Instead of trading one for the other, they should grow younger in their presence. Nevertheless, D’Angelo Russell is 28 years old, and Austin Reaves is 25 years old, assuming they actually carry out this transaction.

This season, Russell scored 18.0 points per game while Reaves scored 15.9 points per game for the Los Angeles Lakers. Moreover, the Bucks’ first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft would allow them to potentially select a player who might aid them in the road. It’s been suggested by many that this NBA Draft class is weak. The Los Angeles Lakers would benefit greatly from the acquisition of Lillard, a 33-year-old who averaged 24.8 points per game this season for the Milwaukee Bucks, but don’t expect it to happen.

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