Jazz capitalize on Lakers' desperation, get valuable asset in trade proposal

Back in 2023, the Utah Jazz did the Lakers a favor when they took Russell Westbrook and his expiring contract in a multi-team trade so the Lakers could acquire multiple rotation players who fit better. A move that the Jazz then did again in 2024, only this time for the Clippers.

That, of course, came with a price. The Jazz acquired the Lakers' 2027 first-round pick, which is top-4 protected. This could prove to be a valuable asset down the line, especially if LeBron James retires before then. The Jazz may have struck gold in that trade, and they could potentially do it again if they play their cards right with the Lakers.

The Lakers are stuck in no-man's land. After being gentlemen's swept by the Nuggets, and with the clock ticking on what's left of LeBron's prime, they need some help. So much so that they might be desperate enough to sell off what few assets they have left

The Jazz can't offer that game-changing star that will instantly vault them to contention. They're not giving up Lauri Markkanen because they want the farm for him, and the Lakers aren't giving that up. But the following trade below could hold some appeal to the Lakers.

Why the Jazz do it

It should be obvious why the Jazz do this if it wasn't already. They get another potentially golden asset out of the Lakers in this deal. It's exactly why they were willing to get Westbrook in 2023 and exactly why they'd get Russell and Wood.

They could even potentially flip those two to a team looking to save on financial flexibility by acquiring their expiring contracts. The Jazz may get only one first-round pick out of this deal, but they could potentially get more along the way,

The underrated benefit is that trading Sexton opens up minutes for Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier. Having Sexton around will only eat into the minutes they could use for their development as players.

Sexton's name has appeared in trade rumors in recent months. In a way, it's sad because he appears to have embraced Utah. So much so that trading him knowing that and the progress he's made would make it seem risky to trade him. However, if the Jazz want to follow through, this could be the ideal trade for him.

Why the Lakers do it

The Lakers absolutely need help. There's no question about that and their time is running out. Sexton is not a star, but here's a hot take: the Lakers don't need another star.

Even at almost 40, LeBron and Anthony Davis are still good enough to raise the team's ceiling by themselves. What they need is to restore that rigid infrastructure they once had when they won the title in 2020, and Sexton could help re-fortify them.

He's not the same talent that Trae Young or Zach LaVine is, but at the same time, with the contract he's paid, the Lakers could have a dependable multi-faceted player without having to pay top dollar for his services.

They learned the hard way what happens when they acquire a star who takes so much of their cap so they have to use the rest of their cap room on veteran's minimum contracts. Because Sexton is on an affordable contract, they get a good player who helps them now who also allows them to look elsewhere for other better-fitting pieces around James and Davis.

All in all, the Jazz can benefit in the long-term from this and the Lakers take a calculated low risk with Sexton. There coild be other details that would go into this trade, but this would be a great opportunity for both sides.