Turn the clock back to the summer of '22.
The Hawks traded Dejounte Murray from the Spurs with Gallinari + 3 first-rounders and 1 first-round swap.
It is worth mentioning that in the 21-22 season, Murray was selected as an All-Star for the first time in his career with his good performance of averaging 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game. And Jokic and Doncic are the only three players in the league who average at least 21+8+8 per game.
To put it another way, Murray also set the tone for the star trade: at least three first-rounders.
Back this summer, when the Pelicans selected the Lakers' 25-year first-rounder, the latter will have three first-round picks available for trade in '24, '29 and '31 after the draft.
The 17th pick has been determined in the first round of '24, and the relative trade value is not large. But in the first round of '29 and '31, James has long since retired and his thick eyebrows have passed his peak, so it can be said that the trade value is very large.
Meanwhile, according to The Athletic's Jovan J. According to Buha, the Los Angeles Lakers must get a star player in return before they can consider trading Reaves this summer.
Obviously, Lakers management is treating Reaves as a "treasure". But that's not the point, the point is that the latter is tradable.
What is Reeves trading worth? On this note, let's first look at the group data:
1. In the playoffs, Reaves averaged 16.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game;
2. PJ Washington averaged 13.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
Midway through the season, the Mavericks traded Grant Williams, Curry Jr. and '27 (top-two pick protection) from the Hornets for PJ Washington and two second-rounders.
In comparison, Reeves is worth a first-round pick is not a big problem. At this time, the Lakers' three first-round picks + Reaves' chips are very competitive. Of course, it can't be compared with teams such as the Thunder and Spurs, which have a lot of draft picks, but it is better than most teams.
As for reinforcement targets, stars including Trae Young, Murray, Mitchell, LaVine and others are likely to leave the team this summer. Take Trae Young as an example, if the Lakers are willing to come up with three first-round picks + Reaves, then the Hawks are still willing to trade with the Lakers with the first pick and Murray.
Based on the competitiveness of the three first-round picks + Reaves and the possibility of multiple stars leaving the team this summer, I think the Lakers are going to rise.
First of all, it should be noted that the rise does not necessarily mean that the championship will be successful. More refers to a significant improvement from what is now.
First, the thick eyebrows were selected for the second formation and the first defense; James was named to the three-team team. For the most part, Zhan Mei remains one of the most dominant duo in the league today.
Second, thick eyebrows played 76 times and James 71 times, and it can be said that the two effectively overcame injuries.
To sum up the above two points, Zhan Mei ensured the lower limit of the Lakers. As for the upper limit, it depends on the combination of giants such as Zhan Mei + Murray/Mitchell. To put it bluntly, Zhan Mei and the third star complement each other - each other is restrained by each other. It's easier to play, injuries are reduced and the win rate is up.