Is Lakers trade target Keldon Johnson, a forward for the Spurs?
The Los Angeles Lakers might be in a tailspin. After losing in the first round of the NBA playoffs to the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers had a quiet offseason, aside from hiring JJ Redick as their head coach. Unless Bronny James is the franchise savior, expect them to struggle to even make the postseason despite having LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The San Antonio Spurs are a team on the rise, but they aren’t in contention quite yet. They still can tweak the roster around Victor Wembanyama and will have to rely heavily on internal development. While they have the draft picks to swing a deal for a star, Keldon Johnson is their only player who has been included in trade rumors. As a physical forward who can occasionally hit a big shot, the Lakers might be interested in trading for him. In a recent article by Lake Show Life, Johnson was listed as an “affordable 3-and-D wing” that LA could target.
As explained, the Spurs no longer value Johnson as a franchise centerpiece and could be willing to part ways with him. The suggested trade in the article is point guard D’Angelo Russell and draft compensation, although the Lakers don’t have much draft flexibility to work with. LA could interest the Spurs in talking rookie Dalton Knecht, but he seems to be a big part of Redick’s plans, so that doesn’t seem very realistic.
The Lakers can’t quite afford to swap Russell for Johnson straight up, so a cheap young player would have to be included. In the deal below, the Spurs add two future-driven players and open up some cap space. Mock Trade Spurs Receive D’Angelo Russell Maxwell Lewis 2029 First-Round Pick Lakers Receive Keldon Johnson Lewis played very limited minutes for the Lakers last season, but he was drafted as a long catch-and-shoot threat, which is exactly the type of player the Spurs want to pair with Wembanyama.
The Spurs also get a pick for Johnson, but the most underrated part of the deal is Russell, who is only under contract for one more season. He would likely be buried on the depth chart or traded before the deadline, but if he stuck around, he would be an unrestricted free agent next summer, while Johnson is under contract for three more years.
In this deal, the Spurs would add enough money to sign an elite free agent, and the 2025 class is headlined by the likes of Jimmy Butler, and Fred VanVleet, as well as other proven NBA talents. The Spurs could also use the extra money to extend Jeremy Sochan, although that likely won’t be a maximum deal. Related: DeMar DeRozan Recalls ‘Battle’ Against Raptors Johnson is a valuable bench player on the Spurs, but he is clearly the odd man out, and if the Lakers offer a solid young piece as well as even more draft flexibility, the Spurs will have to consider that deal.
