Los Angeles Lakers
Lonzo Ball. Josh Jackson. Make it happen.
There are very few non-star point guards in the NBA that I would not be upset if the Suns traded Josh Jackson for, but Lonzo Ball is one that I would make that swap right away.
Lonzo has been hot and cold thus far this season and even though he is the starter, he is still receiving fewer minutes than veteran Rajon Rondo, and might not have a position on the roster after this season at all when the Lakers are able to make their offseason push to improve the roster through free agency and trade.
Ball would bring abilities and skills to Phoenix that would suit the offense perfectly and help make the Suns relevant right away.
His passing, rebounding, and defensive skills would be huge upgrades over every other point guard on the roster, and while his shooting had been sub par in his rookie season, he re-worked his shot this past offseason and there is a notable improvement – while Josh Jackson’s re-worked stroke has not only not caused an uptick in scoring, but his 2-point and 3-point shooting percentages have both dropped over last year.
I could envision the backcourt of Lonzo Ball and Devin Booker being the “Backcourt 2000” that the Suns thought they were getting when they acquired Anfernee Hardaway to place him next to Jason Kidd.
This backcourt would work perfectly in Kokoskov’s system and there is no doubt in my mind that if it worked, it would continue to do so for a very long time.