The latest Los Angeles Lakers trade rumor involves a veteran banger in Greg Monroe, an athletic wing in Jabari Parker and the purple-and-gold's budding playmaker D'Angelo Russell, who by the way isn't a stranger to this kind of hoopla.
Over the weekend, a crazy NBA rumor gained a bit of traction online as it proposes a major deal between the Lakers and the Bucks. The rumor stated that the Lakers have shown interest in trading the no.2 overall pick of the 2015 Draft to the Bucks for a couple of talented bigs, namely Parker and Monroe.
The deal is quite intriguing to be honest. The Bucks have been trying to find a trade partner for Monroe for quite some time, while Parker and Russell always get their names involved in trade speculations.
Unfortunately, this rumor hovering around is riddled with flaws. And as NBA fan and sports writer in training, it is my utmost responsibility to shoot down this misinformation by giving readers three simple reasons why this proposed deal is (sorry for my words) a piece of garbage.
It will be against NBA trade and salary cap restrictions - Although it's not the first time we hear of a one-for-two or even one-for-four swap, trading Russell, who will earn $5 million this coming season, for the combined salaries of Parker and Monroe ($22M) isn't that possible. There are several reasons why salary cap exists, and it happens that one of them is to prevent any lopsided deal from taking place "as much as possible."
It will create more log-jam in the Lakers frontcourt - If having Larry Nance Jr., Tarik Black, Timofey Mozgov, Yi Jianlian, Julius Randle and Ivinca Zubac isn't enough for you, then I don't know what sports you're watching.
Don't get me wrong. Monroe and Parker are highly productive guys who can make a big impact on a right situation. But trading your no.1 guard for two bigs is inconceivable, especially for a team that's currently dealing a talent surplus problem.
It will impede momentum from last season - Russell had a good rookie year. Not great, but good enough to earn All-Rookie 2nd team nod. With one year of NBA experience around his belt, not to mention Kobe Bryant is no longer around to ask for the ball, Russell will have all the opportunities in the world to thrive in Luke Walton's offense.
Let Russell grow into a player he's projected to be. Trading a player as talented as Russell without giving the platform and enough time-frame to reach his potential is wasted investment. The same could be said for Parker, who will start the 2016-17 season injury free. As for Monroe, I think he needs to find a new team where he can fit in. Unfortunately, it's not going to be the Lakers since Monroe skills-set contradicts Walton's small-ball run-and-gun philosophy.