NBA Mock Trade: Los Angeles Lakers Acquire DeMar DeRozan From Sacramento Kings
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With the unknown of how much longer LeBron James is going to play in the NBA at the age of 41, the Los Angeles Lakers should be looking to raise the level of their roster right now anyway they can. They are certainly not set up as well as some teams are to make a splash before the trade deadline on Feb. 5, but they still have enough assets to make a notable deal. One player that they could realistically make a good offer for is small forward from the Sacramento Kings, DeMar DeRozan.
Sacramento Kings-Los Angeles Lakers Mock Trade
Kings Receive:
SF Dalton Knecht
SF Jake LaRavia
PF Rui Hachimura
2030 first round pick (via LAL, top-4 protected)
Lakers Receive:
SF Demar DeRozan
C Drew Eubanks
Why This Trade Makes Sense For The Kings
DeRozan, at the age of 36, is not a part of the Kings' future, especially with where they currently stand. This mock deal allows them to turn the page on a failed veteran core and enter a full rebuild. Sacramento gains both young players who could be part of said rebuild, and they get more draft capital, giving them chances of accommodating franchise pieces down the road.
Both Dalton Knecht and Jake LaRavia, at the age of 24, have the potential to be winning players for a franchise. Knecht notably showed this in his rookie season, and LaRavia has had moments in this current season to indicate this. The former Tennessee Volunteer, Knecht, after a failed trade last season that involved the current Phoenix Suns Center, Mark Williams, going to the Lakers, has not really been the same player since. Sacramento would be a good place for him to hit the reset button on his career by getting a larger pool of consistent minutes and a bigger role.
Knecht this season is averaging 11.9 minutes per game, and 4.6 PPG on 44.2% shhooting from the field. LaRavia has had a bigger role than Knecht, averaging 27.3 minutes per game, 9.2 PPG, and 4.2 RPG.
Why This Trade Makes Sense For The Lakers
The Lakers get better through this mock trade, despite losing a solid piece in LaRavia. Los Angeles gets an efficient veteran scorer with seven years of playoff experience under his belt with DeRozan. With the defensive intensity rising in the playoffs, it produces crucial half-court offensive sets. DeRozan thrives in half-court sets and in big moments, both traits contributing to improving the outlook for the Lakers' season.
The one thing that Los Angeles would have to figure out in this mock deal is compromise on the offensive end. When Austin Reaves comes back from injury, combining his offensive game with DeRozan, James, and Luka Doncic will be difficult, but it can be done. If they can get past that, this is an amazing mock deal for Los Angeles.
This season, DeRozan is averaging 19.2 PPG on 50.6% shooting from the field.
Drew Eubanks is also a meaningful depth add in this mock for the Lakers. He is a solid center despite being used sparingly this season, and Los Angeles needs more players with his archetype. Eubanks is averaging 13.7 minutes per game, 5.1 PPG, and 2.7 RPG.
Fantasy Basketball Impact Of This Mock Trade
The biggest winner in this mock trade for fantasy basketball is Knecht. He will go from being unplayable to being a top waiver wire add in fantasy. His averages across the board should all go up. The biggest loser in this mock trade fantasy-wise is DeRozan. His averages should take a hit getting paired next to three high-level scorers and high-volume offensive usage players at times in Docic, Reaves, and James.
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Gray Deyo is a Nashville-based sportswriter who graduated with a sports management bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has covered prep sports, college sports, the WNBA, and the NBA for the past four years. In addition to writing for SI, Gray also currently contributes to Prep Girls Hoops