I’ve been thinking D’Angelo Russell ought to return to Brooklyn. It’s the last place he truly thrives and they could easily bring back his value. How would he be the number one option again though? It’s simple, remove Cam Thomas from the equation. This is the simplest way to do so.

Why the Nets do this:

The Nets get rid of Simmons and acquire more tradeable contracts such as Russell, Hood-Schifino, Vincent, and Hachimura. They also acquire a highly valuable unprotected 2029 first round pick from the Lakers. They give up Cam Thomas and DayRon Sharpe but end up with probably a better team overall, plus picks.

Why the Lakers do this:

After this deal, the Lakers starting group looks like LeBron/Reaves/Knecht/AD/Sharpe. That feels better than the current lineup, especially when one considers that the bench unit is being led by Cam Thomas, the best pure bucket in the league right now. Simmons is a project but between LeBron (his old draft comparison) and JJ Redick (one of the better shooters in league history) the Lakers have more assets than anyone in terms of helping to fix Simmons. He’ll likely return on a cheaper deal in FA but will also likely finally return to form with LA. And, if not, no big deal. His contract is expiring anyway, leaving plenty of money for LA to do what it wants with.

What do you think of this deal? Let me know your opinions in the comments, looking forward to the discussion there.