New Major Trade Proposal Sees LA Lakers Acquire LeBron James' $86,000,001 Rival in Ambitious Deadline Move 

The LA Lakers are unlikely to make trades before the 2025-26 NBA season opening night. They've improved the team in various positions without exhausting their assets, acquiring their two marquee signings, Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart, with this strategy.

While the Lakers will remain in place for the rest of the offseason, they intend to give the LeBron James-Luka Doncic tandem another chance at a title run. If the Lakers struggle due to the inconsistency of their role players, LA might be inclined to make one or two moves at the deadline.

Some candidates to keep an eye on could be Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt. They had decent showings during the 2024-25 NBA regular season, but had just as many lowlights. Should they continue to lose minutes and underperform, the LA Lakers might consider moving them, even at the expense of losing light draft capital.

The duo will likely have negative trade value, but it won't matter to teams who would be lottery-bound nearing the deadline, as long as other assets are attached. The Phoenix Suns could be one of those teams after making significant changes to their roster following Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal's departures.

They could be willing to sell. Dillon Brooks makes a compelling case as a trade candidate for Phoenix. Here's a mock trade on how the Lakers can acquire one of LeBron James' rivals.

Mock trade proposal lands Dillon Brooks next to LeBron James on LA Lakers

The Suns are looking to get younger and shed salary off their books. Their goal is to build a team around Devin Booker for the future. Dillon Brooks is one of the players who may not fit the team's timeline.

The Lakers could be an intriguing landing spot, considering their need to improve defensively around LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Brooks' defensive versatility can elevate them to the next level.

Here's a mock trade proposal sending Brooks to the LA Lakers:

Lakers get:

• Dillon Brooks
• Jordan Goodwin

Suns get:

• Gabe Vincent
• Jarred Vanderbilt
• 2032 second-round pick

The LA Lakers reunite with Jordan Goodwin in this trade. They had to waive him to make space and acquire Marcus Smart.

On the other hand, the Suns acquire an expiring contract with Gabe Vincent. He also fills a need at the point guard position as the Suns don't have a traditional one.

Meanwhile, Jarred Vanderbilt has three years left on his contract, but on an annual basis, his $12 million average salary shouldn't hurt Phoenix. The Suns also get a 2032 second-round pick to take on his long-term deal.

Vanderbilt hasn't been healthy, and his opportunities due to offensive limitations have hindered his value. However, it could change with the Suns, where the expectations would be lower, and he could fill a role on the defensive end. He can guard multiple positions, including the non-bulky centers.