The Los Angeles Lakers are riding a wave of inconsistency right now. At 25-16, they’re holding onto the sixth seed in the Western Conference-good enough to stay out of the Play-In mix, but not quite the dominant force fans envisioned heading into the season.
The talent is there, no question. But the roster construction?
That’s where the doubts start creeping in.
One of the biggest knocks on this Lakers team has been their lack of versatile, two-way wings-the kind of players who can defend multiple positions, knock down open shots, and fit seamlessly alongside stars like LeBron James. And while LeBron continues to defy Father Time with All-Star-level production, there’s been growing chatter that his hefty contract may be limiting the Lakers’ flexibility to build out a more balanced, playoff-ready roster.
That conversation took a sharp turn on Monday night when Golden State’s Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL, ending his season and throwing the Warriors’ plans into chaos. With one of their key stars out for the year, the Warriors suddenly find themselves at a crossroads. Do they stand pat and regroup for next season, or do they swing big to salvage what’s left of this campaign?
Enter Chandler Parsons, who threw a curveball into the NBA trade rumor mill during an appearance on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back. Parsons floated a blockbuster idea that would send shockwaves through the league:
“How do we feel about a Jimmy Butler, Kuminga, and two picks that are going to be really good to the Lakers for LeBron James and a Rui situation?”
Let’s unpack that. In this hypothetical, the Lakers would ship out LeBron James and Rui Hachimura to Golden State.
In return, they’d receive Jonathan Kuminga-an athletic, high-upside wing-and two potentially valuable future draft picks. Jimmy Butler, included for salary-matching purposes, wouldn’t be a factor on the court this season due to his injury, but his contract would help make the financials work.
From a long-term perspective, there’s a case to be made. Kuminga has shown real flashes of development and could be a key piece for the future.
Those picks? Depending on how the Warriors’ post-Butler era unfolds, they could carry serious value.
But let’s be real: trading away LeBron James-who’s still putting up All-Star numbers and remains the engine of this Lakers squad-would be a seismic shift. Even in Year 21, LeBron is still LeBron.
He’s the floor-raiser, the closer, the leader. And while Rui has had his ups and downs, he’s a solid rotation piece who can stretch the floor and hold his own defensively.
Would Kuminga and a couple of picks make the Lakers better now? Probably not. And with Anthony Davis playing some of his best basketball in years, it’s hard to see the front office punting on this season unless the return is overwhelmingly in their favor.
That’s why, for now, the more realistic outcome is the Lakers working the edges of the roster ahead of the trade deadline-adding depth, maybe a shooter or a wing defender, without blowing up the core. That’s been Rob Pelinka’s approach in recent years: tweak, don’t tear down.
Then again, this is the NBA. A league where blockbuster trades can come out of nowhere and reshape the title picture overnight. Just ask anyone who remembers the chaos surrounding the Doncic deal last year.
So while the LeBron-to-Golden-State scenario feels like a long shot, it’s a reminder that in today’s NBA, no idea is too wild to consider-even if it’s just for a moment.