Potential three-party trading plan for the Lakers, Warriors and Nets: Kuminga goes to the Lakers? Each of the three parties gets what they need

The 2025 NBA Finals are still in full swing, but the league trading market has fired the first shot. Early in the morning, according to Charania, the Grizzlies reached a 7-for-1 deal with the Magic: the Grizzlies gave Bain to exchange for Cole Anthony, Pope, four first-round swap rights and one first-round swap. In this deal, the Grizzlies successfully unloaded Bain's 5-year, 207 million yuan contract. The scorer, who once averaged 21.5 points per game, dropped to 19 points (regular season) and 15 points (playoffs), which is gradually drifting away from his maximum salary. The multiple first-round picks obtained are high-quality bargaining chips for reconstruction, and the 3D players Pope (39.1% three-point shooting percentage) and Anthony (14.3 points per game) provided immediate combat power supplements. In terms of Magic, under the framework of the youth army led by Bankairo and Wagner Jr., an experienced scorer like Bain (38.7% three-point shooting percentage in his career) is urgently needed to serve as the third offensive point. Its contract cycle is perfectly matched with the Magic's core lineup, and Bain can improve the team's ready-to-fight power! Although there is great controversy in this transaction, both parties have achieved their own needs.

One Bain can make such a big deal, and many media joked that the trading market this offseason will be more exciting than the finals! The US media's open-air stand wrote that the three teams, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden State Warriors and the Brooklyn Nets, are expected to reach a major deal in the future. Although the Los Angeles Lakers have two superstars, Doncic and James, there are obvious shortcomings in the depth and adaptability of the team's lineup. Their championship window is gradually narrowing as James's career approaches the end. The Golden State Warriors, the former wealthy family, are now facing the reality that the championship window is about to close, and they urgently need fresh blood to revive their momentum. The Brooklyn Nets are in the process of reconstruction, and he is seeking to obtain more assets that are conducive to future development through transactions. Against this background, a bold trade idea involving three teams, six players and two future draft picks came into being.

Potential trade details are as follows:

Los Angeles Lakers get: Clarkston and Kumingga.

Golden State Warriors‌get: Dorian Finney-Smith, Knecht and the 55th overall pick in 2025.

Brooklyn Nets get: Hachimura Base, Vanderbilt and the 2031 Lakers first-round draft pick.

For the Lakers, Clarkston's joining undoubtedly injected the Lakers with the ability to protect the basket. Last season at the Nets, he averaged 10.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, and his excellent defensive ability has greatly helped the Nets. Clarkston not only has excellent frame protection capabilities, but also has flexible footwork movements, which can effectively deal with the challenges of various offensive players. He previously renewed a four-year contract worth up to $100 million with the Nets. This contract is extremely friendly to the Lakers in terms of salary space, allowing him to become an important pillar of the Lakers' frontcourt in the long run.

Jonathan Kumingga is a young player with great potential. He has explosive athleticism and performs well on both offense and defense. Although he failed to fully win the trust of head coach Cole during his time at the Warriors, his talent and potential are obvious to all. At the end of last season, he averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, shooting 30.5% from three-pointers, and shooting 45.4% from the field. Moreover, Kumingga's salary is at a moderate level, only $7.6 million in the 2024-25 season. The current market quote for him is a contract with an average salary of around 11 million. He has enough time to grow up with the Lakers and become a part of the team's future framework. The combination of Clarkston and Cumingga has brought great flexibility in the lineup to the Lakers. The Lakers can continue to chase other scorers or organizers based on the team's needs.

For the Warriors, Finney-Smith played 3D attributes in the 2024-25 season. He averaged 8.7 points per game, shot up to 41.1% from three-pointers, and maintained excellent defensive intensity in 63 games. Next season, he has a $15.4 million player option. Finney Smith's arrival provides the Warriors with a stable bottom corner three-point threat when Curry runs without the ball. At the same time, his strong defensive ability can effectively deal with the challenges of various wing players, adding a solid barrier to the Warriors' defensive system. As the 17th pick of this year, Knecht showed outstanding projection ability. As a rookie, he quickly adapted to the pace of the NBA at the beginning of the season, scoring 37 points in one game, including 9 three-pointers, and shooting percentage of 37.6%. Knecht is a developing outside scorer. He not only has excellent scoring skills, but also has certain organizational offensive potential. On the Warriors' bench, he is expected to become a trusted scorer, providing stable firepower support to the team, and his contract is also very cost-effective and will not put too much pressure on the team's salary space.

For the Nets, Hachimura is a player with great offensive talent. He averaged 13.1 points per game last season and shot as high as 41.3% from three-pointers. His contract next season is $18 million, which is extremely cost-effective. The arrival of Hachimura adds offensive diversity to the Brooklyn Nets' wing and forward positions. He can open up space outside the three-point line, forcing the opponent's big players to expand their defense outside, thus creating more opportunities for the team's offense. Moreover, his contract term will not put a lot of pressure on the Nets' future salary space, which will help the team maintain flexibility in subsequent operations.

Vanderbilt is also a player with both offense and defense. Last season, he averaged 5.1 rebounds per game, shooting percentage of 48.8%, and playing time per game was 16.1 minutes. His contracts for the next two seasons are $11.6 million and $12.4 million, respectively, which fully reflects the Nets' confidence in his role positioning. Vanderbilt is always full of energy on the court. His defense covers a wide range of areas and is able to defend players from multiple positions, providing strong guarantees for the Nets' bench depth and helping the team maintain a certain competitiveness during the reconstruction process. The Lakers' first-round draft pick in 2031 is undoubtedly a valuable future asset for the Nets. The Nets can also trade Vanderbilt and Bain for a second time in exchange for more assets.

This three-party transaction is a win-win situation. By obtaining Clarkston, the Lakers filled the defensive vacancy left by Davis after leaving. Kumingga's joining injected offensive vitality into the Lakers' starting lineup. He has controllable costs and outstanding athletic ability, and is expected to grow with the team. The Warriors found a perfect combination of perimeter defense and three-point firepower in Finney-Smith, who provided the team with a reasonable salary. Knecht can cultivate the next Clay and reserve enough talent for the future. The Nets are constantly accumulating future assets! If this deal can be finally reached, it will undoubtedly trigger a series of chain reactions in the NBA league and reshape the future direction of the three teams.