@godfather,
@Rob, interesting you guys are discussing this. I was "war gaming" it with a buddy this morning. Here's what we got:
Lakers' assets:
1) D'Angelo Russell
2) Julius Randle
3) 2016 #2 Overall Pick
4) Lou Williams
5) Nance Jr., Tarik Black, and a host of other filler players
6) Jordan Clarkson (currently unsigned)
7) Future picks
The best way to win in this league is to get stars. Right now, the Lakers are lagging in that department. If they want to be relevant next season, than they do have to trade...
Let's assume that the asking price to even entertain getting a Paul George or Jimmy Butler is astronomically high. Moreover, it would be easier and better off for both teams to make the move for Butler instead of George.
Lakers trade:
-D'Angelo Russell
-Julius Randle
-#2 overall pick
-Lou Williams
Bulls trade:
-Jimmy Butler
(aside, I think Lakers need to give up even more to make the salaries match, so let's just pretend this would work... I'll get to my main point in a second).
Afterwards, let's say the Lakers re-sign Clarkson and find a way to sign both DeRozan and Whiteside. Here is what their current roster would look like:
PG: Nobody
SG: Butler, Clarkson
SF: DeRozan (?), Nance Jr.
PF: Nance Jr., ___
C: Whiteside, Black
In that situation they have no point guard, no backup power forward, no real backup small forward, and DeRozan playing out of position... Even if they could find a way to grab Conley/Teague/Schroeder instead of DeRozan, the depth chart still looks like shit. At best this team is contending for a first round playoff exit with a limited future.
Consequently, it seems better to continue the rebuild and potentially make trades later. Let's examine that world:
PG: D'Angelo, Huertas
SG: Clarkson and potentially DeRozan
SF: Ingram
PF: Randle, Nance Jr.
C: ___ (Whiteside, Moz, etc.), Black
By no means is it a world-beater depth chart, but it has a lot more potential. I think Ingram will be a superstar on-par with KD, but even if he just becomes a basic all-star, that value is still great long-term. D'Angelo reminds me a lot of Lowry, and I think we'll see flashes of a core piece emerge this season. And finally, Randle looks like he can be a starting big in the modern NBA. Thus, in my reading, Lakers have two future stars, two future starters (Clarkson and Randle), and one future rotation player (Nance). In my estimation, that is much more to build around than three stars and no depth.