**Trade no 1:

**LA gets: Buddy Hield / Alex Caruso IND gets: Malik Beasley / Shaquille Harrison / 17th Pick CHI gets: Mo Bamba / 26th Pick

With this deal, LA brings in two needed components in their backcourt ( shooting and perimeter defense ). Hield's 3-point shooting would be a welcome addition to a team that has struggled from three in the past. What makes Buddy different from other specialists however is his play off of the dribble which has improved quite a bit since being traded to Indiana. Having another ball handler who can space the floor would create more opportunities for AD and LeBron. For instance, Hield could come off screens, be used in curls, or handoff actions involving Bron or Davis. Caruso would give LA an elite POA defender. The Lakers lacked POA defense outside of Vando and Dennis throughout the season. Caruso is arguably the best POA defender in the league and would be a natural fit on a team that has prided itself on the defensive end. While much is already said of his defense, his playmaking is also very underrated. He makes timely reads and functions well as a secondary ball handler or connecter.

**Returning Players:

RUI HACHIMURA : 3 YEAR 45M DENNIS SCHRODER: 4.4 M ( BI - ANNUAL EXCEPTION ) AUSTIN REAVES: 4-YEAR 100M WENYEN GABRIEL: VET MIN The Lakers are prioritizing retaining their young core and for good reason. Rui and Reaves were outstanding in the playoffs and came up huge in countless moments. Reaves is expected to court 98-100M which he will receive in this deal, However, due to the Arenas provision, the first two years of that deal will be roughly around 12M before evaluating to 36M in the final two years. Bringing back Dennis on a bi-annual also seems like good value. He had a solid season with the Lakers as his defense and scoring proved to be useful especially when 1 of Bron or AD was injured.

**New Players:

CHRISTIAN WOOD: 1 YEAR 10M (MID-LEVEL EXCEPTION ) YUTA WATANABE: VET MIN STANLEY JOHNSON: VET MIN

The Lakers need additional size on the roster and that showed in the Denver series. While Wood certainly isn't the defensive stalwart that Lopez or Turner would be, his shot creation is an intriguing fit next to Davis. Wood is a knockdown shooter, a solid screen setter and can make plays off of the dribble as well. He has shown flashes of solid defensive play but its not consistent which is why his stock has fallen to the MLE range. However he's been surrounded by poor defenders his whole career ( DET, HOU , DAL ). Perhaps a new enviornment could help him find some consistency. WHether its as a starter or a reserve he'd be a seamless fit in LA due to his offensive skillset. Yuta and Stanley are 2 vet mins who will play above their contract level due to their hustle and effort. They are high motor players who typically play well when surrounded by seasoned vets. Losses: DLO LONNIE WALKER Rotation: Reaves / Caruso / Rui / LeBron / AD

Dennis / Hield / Vando / Wood