I welcome y’all’s opinions, but please be respectful. If your response is “XYZ team says no,” please at least give a reason why. These posts are for debates, not trolls.

Starting with the team that is most likely to say no: Dallas.

Dallas does the trade to get off PJ’s long-term money while recouping draft assets, and KPJ would be a great pickup as the backup 1/2 option of the bunch. This would allow them to start Naji while still having a primary creator coming off the bench. He’s on an expiring contract, so it’s low risk/high reward for Dallas while also gaining draft assets.

Also, Vando is not a plus in this trade, which is why the Lakers would have to add draft capital. However, Vando being on a shorter deal than PJ is a plus, and next summer, with him on an expiring contract, Dallas could use that salary to bring in another piece.

Think of it like this: Vando at $14M plus the $7.5M you could add in cap space gives you roughly $22M in salary you could trade for a player after using all your cap space, while staying under the first apron. That’s similar to the spot the Lakers are in right now.

Bucks say yes to the deal because they have to slim down their roster.

There have been talks that they might end up waiving one of these players, or possibly even both. So adding Jake, who Taylor Jenkins was publicly very high on during his time in Memphis, is a great pickup for two players the Bucks were potentially going to move on from.

Currently, the Bucks are lacking at the 4, and Jake could come in and help rebalance the roster. With Myles and Ware, Sims could have been on the outside looking in anyway because you probably want to give both of those guys around 30 minutes a night. Trying to play two-big lineups all the time could also limit the Bucks’ preferred style of play.

KPJ was also potentially looking at being out of the rotation with so many similar guards on the roster. This move fixes the roster without taking on any long-term money.

Lakers do the deal to get their starting 4 and backup center, which are the biggest holes on the roster.

You’re getting a guy who played with Luka and, honestly, is a great fit next to Kessler, who has played with bigger 4s throughout his career.

This also gives JJ more lineup flexibility. Think about a lineup with Mamu and PJ as the frontcourt and the shooting and floor spacing that provides without giving up a lot of size. PJ would ideally be the best fit at the 4.

Now, Jericho is arguably one of the best lob threats in the NBA, and we know what Luka can do with lob threats. If you’re Jericho, you definitely want to get to the Lakers. They have opportunities for minutes at the backup 5, with spot starts when Kessler is out, while playing with a lot of players who can dribble, pass, and shoot.

We’ve seen the impact Luka had with Hayes. Jericho could be the next big who gets his career established by playing with Luka in a clear, defined role.

I really like this trade for the Lakers, even though it gives up almost all of their remaining assets to get it done.

Okay, again, be respectful—but who says no?