Trade Proposal Sends Tre Mann, Nick Richards To Lakers, D’Angelo Russell, Cam Reddish, Christian Wood To Hornets

NBA insider Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report proposed a three-team trade between the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz. 

Here’s the mock trade:

Lakers get Tre Mann, Nick Richards, $13.8 million trade exception, $3.0 million trade exception

Hornets get D’Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Cam Reddish, Christian Wood, second-highest 2025 first-rounder from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves or Jazz (via Utah), $1.1 million trade exception

Jazz get Vasilije Micić, 2031 protected first-rounder (via Lakers)

The Lakers are shopping Russell, who picked up his 2024-25 player option worth $18.7 million.

Pincus has the Lakers signing Markelle Fultz after completing this trade.

Fultz, who played for the Orlando Magic this past season, is an unrestricted free agent.

“Mann, 23, was the No. 18 pick in 2021 and is a more-ready point guard prospect than Hood-Schifino,” Pincus wrote in his NBA article. “He’s due an extension this summer, or the Lakers can wait for restricted free agency in 2025. Richards, 26, is a legit 7’0” center earning $10 million over the next two seasons (his second is non-guaranteed).

“The Lakers thinned out some of the roster glut, sending out four players for two. With the salary reduction, the team should be able to give Fultz, the best available free-agent point guard, a $5.2 million starting salary via the taxpayer mid-level exception. Fultz, the No. 1 pick in 2017, is a poor outside shooter but can create pressure on the rim off the dribble.

“Fixing the 2024-25 Lakers in one trade is improbable. The Lakers lose shooting with Russell, but he struggled to bring that consistently in the postseason. Instead, the team adds depth at the point, size in Richards and the financial/roster flexibility to bring in an additional player (be it at the minimum or up to $13.7 million via the Russell trade exception).”

Russell averaged 18.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks in 2023-24 for the Lakers while shooting 45.6% from the field, 41.5% from beyond the arc and 82.8% from the free-throw line.

The Lakers haven’t made any moves this offseason in free agency or trades. They fired Darvin Ham as head coach and hired former NBA shooting guard JJ Redick. 

The Hornets and Jazz are in rebuild mode. Both teams missed the playoffs the past two seasons.