Lakers-Knicks uneven trade idea would send young center to Los Angeles

Contributor
Colin Keane
Lakers-Knicks uneven trade idea would send young center to Los Angeles image

Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers might try to pry away a center from the New York Knicks this summer, but would LA have any luck doing so?

On Tuesday, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz proposed a deal between the Knicks and Lakers.

The Trade

Lakers receive…

  • Mitchell Robinson

Knicks receive…

  • Jarred Vanderbilt
  • 2025 second-rounder
  • 2026 first-round pick swap

Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

“The Lakers don't need an All-Star center, but rather just someone with size who can protect the rim and be a vertical lob threat for Luka Dončić and LeBron James to find,” Swartz wrote.

“Robinson, 27, is a true 7-footer who knows his role and plays it well. He does a good job of cleaning the offensive glass and has blocked 2.7 shots per 36 minutes in his seven-year career.”

“The addition of Karl-Anthony Towns has meant a full-time move to the bench for Robinson, who previously started 170 of his 193 games the past four years. He isn't nearly as valuable to this new-look group as he was alongside Julius Randle and Co.”

“Vanderbilt, 26, is a more versatile defender who can play and guard multiple positions and brings an outside shooting threat that Robinson doesn't. For a Knicks bench that isn't very deep, this kind of versatility is important.”

“New York also gets the right to swap first-round picks with the Lakers next season and collects their second-rounder in next month's draft. The Knicks currently have just one pick (No. 50 overall) in the entire draft.”

Swartz’s idea of Robinson on the Lakers isn’t a bad one, but this trade doesn’t make sense for the Knicks, who could find a better package than Vanderbilt and picks for Robinson on the summer market.

Also, Swartz’s characterization of Vanderbilt as an outside shooter is way off. Vanderbilt is a career 28.8 percent three-point shooter, and he was slightly worse at 28.1 percent from downtown this season.

The first-round pick swap would be intriguing if the Lakers were likely to have a bad record next season, but that isn’t the case.

If the Lakers tried to make this deal happen, New York wouldn’t bite.

More NBA: Why did this Lakers legend refuse to participate in Celtics documentary?