NBA Rumors: Dalton Knecht and Rui Hachimura could be traded by the Los Angeles Lakers

NBA Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers are in an evaluation period after acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton from the Brooklyn Nets. The team is looking to determine if they have what it takes for a standout playoff appearance or if they will use their assets in draft picks to make improvements before the February 6 trade deadline.

For this, they would even be willing to trade Dalton Knecht or Rui Hachimura.

The first part of a series explored a more moderate approach by considering the acquisition of Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz. This second part analyzes a possible more aggressive move with the Jazz to address the lack of ball handling generated after sending D’Angelo Russell to Brooklyn.

The Lakers' current payroll stands at $185.4 million, considering 15 players with guaranteed contracts and three two-way contracts. The organization has made it clear that they do not plan to exceed the league's second salary threshold, set at $188.9 million. Additionally, any addition of multi-year salary, such as Collin Sexton's contract for the 2025-26 season, must stay below the projected $207.8 million threshold for next year.

Executives from other teams point out that the Lakers have shown no interest in including players like Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, or Bronny James in negotiations. Finney-Smith and Milton also cannot be included in an aggregated trade before February 6.

Regarding draft assets, the Lakers can only offer two first-round picks in 2029 and 2031 due to the Stepien Rule restrictions. They also have two second-round picks for this year, one of their own and one from the Clippers.

A possible trade between the Lakers and the Jazz would include the following:

Lakers receive:

• Collin Sexton
• Walker Kessler
• Patty Mills

Jazz receive:

• Gabe Vincent
• Christian Wood
• Jalen Hood-Schifino
• Cam Reddish
• Jaxson Hayes
• Removal of top-4 protection on Lakers' 2027 first-round pick
• 2029 first-round pick
• 2031 first-round pick
• $7.4 million trade exception (Sexton) and $2.1 million trade exception (Mills)

The Jazz would need to free up two roster spots to complete this trade, either through another agreement, expanding to a three-team trade, or player cuts like Svi Mykhailiuk and Drew Eubanks.

Acquiring Sexton is a complex decision for the Lakers. Currently, the team relies on offensive creation from LeBron James and Austin Reaves, but adding a player like Sexton, who averages 17.7 points and 3.8 assists per game this season, could bolster the offense. However, his defensive performance does not match that of Vincent, who, although less effective offensively, contributes in other areas.

Additionally, Sexton's contract, which could reach up to $19.5 million next season, would impact the team's salary management. LeBron James would have to waive his $52.6 million option for 2025-26 and sign a new contract close to $45 million, allowing the team to stay within the cap and retain much of the roster.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rumores NBA: Dalton Knecht y Rui Hachimura podrían ser traspasados por Los Angeles Lakers