I've been pushing for this scenario to play out for a couple of months now. It's super crazy and would require Paul Allen to just say screw it and pay out a ton of tax but I think it would be worth it by the summer of 2019.
Trade #1
Pacers get Maurice Harkless (or Meyers Leonard if they prefer) and Larry Nance Jr
Lakers get Ed Davis (or Noah Vonleh and Jake Layman works too) and Al Jefferson
Blazers get Luol Deng, Lakers 2020 1st round pick (Unprotected), Lakers 2018 2nd round pick (via Denver), Lakers 2019 2nd round pick (via Chicago)
Pacers have to take on the contract of Harkless but get Larry Nance Jr as compensation for doing so. They are going to cut Jefferson in the off season anyway so this makes it so they don't have to have dead money on the books either. For the Lakers this is all about clearing max space, if waived this summer Jefferson only counts $4 million against the cap which they could stretch out. The cost of getting rid of Deng's salary is a 1st round pick, two 2nds, and Nance Jr. I think they would be happy to do this. The Blazers get rid of one of their bad contracts but gain an even worse one but could be heavily compensated for doing so. My dream is that after making this trade the Lakers strike out this summer and still suck in 2019-20 making their pick a high lottery one.
Trade #2
Hawks get Jordan Clarkson
Lakers get $75,000 cash from Atlanta
Blazers get Miles Plumlee (Using the TPE), and the better of the Hawks extra 1st rounders this year between Minnesota and Houston
This trade also could work between just us and Atlanta if they don't want Clarkson. The Lakers get more cap relief. Hawks get out of their worst contract. Blazers get another pick.
So now you might be thinking, why on earth would we add all these picks instead of improving the team now? First off, I don't think this really makes the team any worse than they already are but now they have a huge stockpile of assets. Plus they would be able to use the tax-payer MLE this season still for someone who is bought out and this summer. If they can just get through next year in good shape then in the summer of 2019 they'd have an incredible amount of trade pieces.
The contracts of Turner, Leonard, Plumlee, and Deng would all be huge expiring contracts at that point.
They'd have a bunch of (hopefully) promising young players on rookie deals including Collins, Swanigan, two players selected in the 2018 1st round, one player from the 2018 2nd round (likely a stash), one player from the 2019 1st round, and two players from the 2019 2nd round. Plus they'd have all of their own picks at that point and still have an unprotected 1st rounder from the Lakers (who will still suck). We would have just about any type of offer for trades that other team's would be looking for at that point. If Olshey found a good wing with just one of those 6 picks then we'd be set. The more quality those picks produce the better. Worst case scenario we just wait for contracts to expire and make a run at someone in the summer of 2020 like Kawhi Leonard or Jimmy Butler.
I know this really sounds like it is wasting at least a year and a half of Lillard's prime but I just don't see a logical way out of the position we are in and into contention this year or next year anyway so we not be primed to pounce whenever the next opportunity to get a Paul George or whoever becomes available? Right now it's pretty clear we don't have those pieces, short of another GM gifting us a lopsided trade.
