KEY POINTS

  • The Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks are the top dogs in the NBA this season
  • The Lakers could acquire Eric Bledsoe from the Bucks in exchange of a pair of role players and a draft pick
  • The Lakers have struggled this season when LeBron James is off the floor

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks are being pitted against each other given that they are the top dogs favored to enter the NBA Finals this year. The dream championship faceoff will stay as it is until it actually happens, but rumors suggest the connection between the two powerhouse teams could carry over beyond the end of the season with Bucks star point guard Eric Bledsoe being linked to a transfer to L.A. in exchange for role players.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report projects that LeBron James could be in a new breed of another Big Three, this time with Bledsoe joining him and Anthony Davis in spearheading the Purple and Gold.

But forming another deadly trio would not be without the Lakers sacrificing a crucial portion of their core. According to the projection, Rob Pelinka might be forced to let go of Danny Green, Alex Caruso, and a 2020 first-round draft pick to acquire the services of the former Kentucky Wildcat.

Green and Caruso have both been crucial in the Lakers’ success this season. But despite their unparalleled impact in L.A., a major tweak in the team’s roster could still be made at the expense of their respective spots. And one reason such a move would be pulled off is the Lakers’ plan to address one persisting hole in their nearly flawless manpower – the back-up point guard spot.

“The Lakers have been a juggernaut in the West this season, but they share a flaw common to plenty of LeBron-led teams over the years: They fall apart when he leaves the floor,” Bailey wrote.

James has thrived since taking the starting PG role under Frank Vogel. But maintaining the same quality of facilitating and overall playmaking has become a struggle for his back-ups. Rajon Rondo has already caught up with age, while Quinn Cook could sometimes be exposed as a defensive liability for the team.

“This season, L.A. is plus-10.5 points per 100 possessions when LeBron is on the floor and minus-1.5 when he's off. A lack of reliable defense from playmakers while he is out appears to be the culprit,” Bailey added.

“When AD plays without LeBron, the Lakers are minus-0.9 points per 100 possessions with an offense that ranks in the 70th percentile and a defense that ranks in the 26th percentile.”

Bledsoe is relatively underrated for the impact he could provide on the floor. A reliable two-player player, the 6’1 guard could easily fill the gap that Lakers are asking for.

Eric Bledsoe
Eric Bledsoe #2 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the NBA preseason game against the Brisbane Bullets at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 13, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona Christian Peterson/GETTY