This mock trade scenario would solve a lot of issues for the Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers fan base knows as well as anyone that a major trade could shake up how the organization is viewed in an instant.
We saw this happen for the Purple and Gold earlier this year when the franchise pulled off the biggest shocker in recent memory by swinging a deal for a package headlined by Luka Doncic just ahead of the league’s annual trade deadline.
Following that move, Los Angeles got hot as the Lakers got on a roll and ultimately won the Pacific Division regular season crown, locking up the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference as a result.
Could the Lakers be on the verge of another blockbuster trade this summer? That remains to be seen. If it were to happen, though, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com has provided fans with a mock trade proposal that would make fans of the Purple and Gold salivate.
Lakers Land Jarrett Allen in Blockbuster Trade Proposal from ESPN
- Dallas Mavericks receive: Donovan Mitchell, 2031 first-round pick, 2028 first-round swap, 2030 first-round swap
- Cleveland Cavaliers receive: 2025 No. 1 pick, Jevon Carter, Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford
- Los Angeles Lakers receive: Jarrett Allen
- Chicago Bulls receive: Dalton Knecht, Caleb Martin, 2026 second-round pick, 2027 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick
Adding Allen to the fold would be worth the future first-round picks going to Dallas in this scenario, as at least two of the players involved are unlikely to play a major role for the Lakers next season.
Dalton Knecht is not part of the long-term plans in Los Angeles. If he were, the franchise wouldn’t have traded him once already.
If that is how Rob Pelinka and the front office view their top pick from the 2024 NBA Draft, then there is no point in keeping him around just to let his trade value fall.
What Gabe Vincent brings to the table can be replaced by plenty of other guards who could get a similar job done for far less money.
Los Angeles could use the $11.5 million the volume shooter is set to earn during the 2025-26 season in other ways, whether that comes in the blockbuster trade proposed by Pelton or any other deal.
Maxi Kleber only played five minutes in one appearance for Los Angeles after being included in the Doncic trade and is owed $11 million for the 2025-26 season.
Of the three, he has accomplished the most during his professional career.
He is, however, coming off a foot fracture that required surgery, and the Lakers just haven’t had the opportunity to see whether he can be a key piece of the puzzle for the team moving forward.
The Cavaliers are unlikely to choose to blow everything up after finishing the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference.
If, for some reason, they elect to make a hard pivot concerning their plan moving forward and build around Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, the Lakers should do whatever they need to do to take Allen off their hands.
