BREAKING NEWS: LA Lakers officially sign Spurs Forward Keldon Johnson
The Los Angeles Lakers may be heading into a rough patch. After their early exit from the NBA playoffs at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers had a relatively quiet offseason, with the only major change being the hiring of JJ Redick as their new head coach.
Unless Bronny James emerges as a game-changer for the franchise, the team could face significant challenges making the playoffs, even with the presence of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs are a team on the rise but are not yet competitive. They still need to refine their roster around Victor Wembanyama and will rely heavily on internal player development.
Although they have draft picks that could be used in a trade for a star player, Keldon Johnson is currently the only player linked to trade rumors. As a versatile forward who can make key shots, Johnson might attract the Lakers’ interest.
According to a recent Lake Show Life article, Johnson is viewed as an “affordable 3-and-D wing” that the Lakers could pursue. The article notes that the Spurs no longer see Johnson as a core part of their future and might be open to trading him.
The proposed trade involves sending point guard D’Angelo Russell and draft compensation to the Spurs, although the Lakers have limited draft assets. The Spurs might be intrigued by rookie Dalton Knecht, but he appears to be a key part of Redick’s plans, making this trade unlikely.
Since the Lakers cannot afford a direct swap of Russell for Johnson, a deal would likely need to include a low-cost young player. This trade would give the Spurs two future-oriented players and help them free up some cap space.