Lakers Mock Trade: Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura make way for $107,000,000 guard

The LA Lakers failed to leave their mark in last season’s playoffs despite acquiring Luka Doncic midseason. The Minnesota Timberwolves knocked them out of the playoffs in the first round in five games, exposing major flaws in the Purple and Gold’s lineup.

Going into the offseason, general manager Rob Pelinka had a list of priority signings in his mind. LA lacked a true number five and a solid third option to pair alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Deandre Ayton is set to join the Lakers soon, which solves the Purple and Gold’s big-man problem.

However, they are still left with a manhunt for a wing player who can play defense. On Jun. 29, LA let their only starting caliber 3-and-D wing player, Dorian Finney-Smith, walk in free agency after he opted out of his player option. A day later, he joined the Houston Rockets.

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While the Lakers are rumored to be interested in Andrew Wiggins to fill in for Finney-Smith, there has been no reported progress on that front. However, RJ Barrett could be an even more interesting fit for the Purple and Gold.

According to Spotrac, Barrett is set to enter the third year of his $107 million contract with the Raptors. So, let's take a look at a scenario that brings the Raptors guard to LA in exchange for Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura.

Lakers Mock Trade: Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura make way for Raptors star guard

RJ Barrett would solve a lot of riddles for the Lakers offense in both offense and defense. He is a versatile 3-and-D player who fits the profile LA is looking for. Last season, the Raptors guard averaged 21.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game on 46.8 percent shooting from the field and 35.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

On the defensive end, Barrett averaged 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks per game. The Raptors have an expensive roster and have -$64.485 million in cap space for next season, so they might trade a star guard like Barrett for some solid role players.

So, here is a mock trade involving RJ Barrett, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent.

Lakers receive:

• RJ Barrett
• Jamal Shead

Raptors receive:

• Rui Hachimura
• Gabe Vincent
• 2031 first-round pick
• 2031 second-round pick

In this scenario, the Lakers get RJ Barrett to solve their problems in the wing position, while Jamal Shead is included to facilitate the trade and manage cap space.

On the other hand, the Raptors receive Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent, who have proved themselves as solid role players for LA. This trade would also give Toronto roughly $2 million in cap space, keeping them a bit farther away from the second apron.

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About the author

Avi Shravan

Avi Shravan's first year of college was the year he discovered his passion for basketball and the NBA. He has been an ardent fan of the sport ever since, from waking up early to cover games to watching pundit discussions, he does it all.

Avi is a big fan of Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks and Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves and firmly believes that the young star is the next big thing in the NBA.

Avi graduated in Mass Communication and Journalism, further enhancing his skills as a journalist and a writer. In his spare time when he is not writing, you can find him playing video games, watching anime, or reading a book he randomly picked at a bookstore.

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