The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks will enter this offseason with the desire to make some major moves to help strengthen their position as contenders in their respective Conferences. Both teams could work with each other to make a deal that helps them get better, provided they can get the Utah Jazz on board.
The Jazz have been in a slow rebuild over the last two seasons and developed Lauri Markkanen into an All-Star caliber player. Instead of letting Markkanen lose value as the team struggles to pick a direction for their future, a three-team deal to furnish them with assets could work, with the Lakers playing a crucial role and getting a former All-NBA talent.
Utah Jazz Receive: Bojan Bogdanovic, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2028 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2030 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2030 Second-Round Pick (LAL)
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Julius Randle
New York Knicks Receive: Lauri Markkanen, Rui Hachimura
This deal allows both the Lakers and Knicks to take big swings on Randle and Markkanen respectively, while the Jazz can fully commit to a rebuild and walk out of the loaded 2025 Draft with a franchise-altering selection.
Would The Utah Jazz Accept This Deal?
The Utah Jazz have spent the last two seasons throwing away competitive seasons in February by trading away their good players for additional assets. We've seen the Lakers and Timberwolves reap the benefits of it in 2023 and getting players through Utah which made them Western Conference Finalists. Keeping Markkanen around without a clear winning direction will hurt the team's prospects, and moving him this season could help them maximize their return.
Markkanen averaged 23.2 points and, 8.2 rebounds this season, so losing him to players like Gabe Vincent and Bojan Bogdanovic returning to the franchise might seem ludicrous. But the Jazz get multiple picks as well as two sizeable expiring contracts to open up space for the future. They have plenty of frontcourt players who need minutes for development like Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh, with a Markkanen trade opening up minutes for them.
Jalen Hood-Schifino didn't get a chance to shine in his rookie season but is a 6'6" point guard who could thrive in a rebuilding situation instead of trying to compete for minutes on a win-now Lakers squad.
Are The Lakers Willing To Bring Back Julius Randle?
The Lakers have been in the market for a third star and acquiring Julius Randle in a three-team deal could be ideal, as it protects them from expending a first-round pick. Adding a third frontcourt player to a duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis could be considered a bad fit, but it could signify a change in roster philosophy for the Lakers going forward, possibly leaning back into James playing as the team's point guard as he did in 2020.
Rui Hachimura was a versatile and valuable forward who averaged 13.6 points and 4.3 rebounds over the season. But he is plagued with inconsistencies that the Lakers could move off to get a former All-NBA player like Randle. Getting off Gabe Vincent's $11 million contract with another year left on it would make sense in this move, though losing the upside of Jalen Hood-Schifino will make the Lakers hesitate. But for a player like Randle, it might be worth it.
Randle's $28.9 million contract would be a problem if the Lakers want to build with depth in mind, as it would push the Lakers into being a top-heavy team once again. But if they nail their free agent signings on the minimum market, they're essentially upgrading Hachimura to Randle while also giving up two non-factors on the team's success last season.
Is The Cost Justified For The Knicks?
The Knicks are the marquee team in this trade, finally cashing in their draft assets for two players who could make a significant impact on the team. Randle averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists this season but his late-season injury proved that the team can have success without him in the lineup. With Jalen Brunson emerging as an MVP-caliber guard, the Knicks need to find a way to add more complementary star players next to their star guard. adding two forwards of different calibers would be perfect.
At various points this season, the Knicks were forced to play their guards out of position along the frontline due to the team's lack of usable depth in the position and injuries to Randle and OG Anunoby. Adding Markkanen gives them a complementary All-Star offensive threat who happens to be a seven-foot wing. Hachimura is a versatile and valuable forward who can play across multiple positions, making him an ideal fit within the Knicks system.
Losing Bogdanovic won't be a big blow, with the 35-year-old forward averaging 10.4 points and 2.0 rebounds over half a season with the Knicks.
Giving up two first-round picks and Randle for a deal like this is honestly not bad at all. They keep most of their core together with Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart, while also retaining space to bring back Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. It's a gamble, but it's one the Knicks have been waiting to make for years.
What Grade Should This Trade Be?
Overall Grade Of The Trade: B
This three-team trade between the Jazz, Knicks, and Lakers has a lot of moving pieces but nets a solid return overall for all three parties. While there will always be volatility in blockbuster deals like this, this deal can level out as a B for all parties involved.
Utah Jazz: C+
The Jazz could find a better offer for Markkanen than this if they want a pure chunky asset return, but this deal does make sense for what the team's future appears to be. They have to bottom out this season to be in the mix for Cooper Flagg or any other top 2025 Draft recruit. Markkanen has proven he can carry them to 30+ wins, maybe even 40+ if his supporting cast didn't get traded every season.
The players they get back just prepare themselves for future openings, though Hood-Schifino is a very intriguing prospect. This is a doable deal, but it's the kind of deal that the Jazz look back on and wonder if they gave up an All-Star for too little. Maybe a third first-round pick from either the Knicks or Lakers can appease their worries, but it won't be an easy yes with the deal in its current state.
Los Angeles Lakers: B
It's hard to gauge how the Lakers would look at this deal. They get a material upgrade on Hachimura with Randle, but commit a large chunk of salary space to a trio of Davis, Randle, and LeBron. Moving James to point guard to make this work would be perfect, especially with his growing reliability as a shooter. Randle and Davis have chemistry as teammates on the Pelicans and can create a formidable frontcourt pair with James running the show and offensive threats like Reaves on the roster.
This wouldn't be ideal with the new salary apron rules, as having three large salaries will severely restrict what the Lakers can do going forward. But they maintain all their first-round picks, which would be useful if they want to rebuild after James leaves or make additional moves to use those assets to fill out the roster.
New York Knicks: A
If the Knicks have the opportunity to make this deal, there really isn't any reason why they wouldn't. Markkanen is a seamless offensive fit while Hachimura adds quality depth in a position they need more usable players. Giving up just two future picks in this deal would be a great price for them, with some looking at Markkanen as a player who should get a higher return. But the Knicks have to roll the dice on Markkanen entering free agency, which could throw a spanner in their plans.
Randle is a considerable loss given what he's meant for the franchise since 2019, but the team has proven it can succeed without him. Instead of limiting space on the floor for Brunson, the Knicks can open it up with a player as offensively polished as Markkanen. The Knicks weren't a top offense this season, and this deal would change that for a reasonable price.
