Last year, the Los Angeles Lakers made significant moves by acquiring Luka Dončić at the NBA’s trade deadline. This year, however, the odds of a similar success were slim, as they had only one first-round and one second-round pick available for trade, along with a few swap options. The Lakers are aiming for significant cap space in the offseason and intended to avoid salary complications by not taking on long-term contracts.

The deadline expectations were always modest, likely limited to minimal trades, and recent developments confirm that. According to ESPN, the Lakers have traded Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for sharpshooter Luke Kennard. Now without second-round picks, the Lakers are in a position where they need to optimize their lineup for the remainder of the season and the playoffs. Here’s a breakdown of the deal’s implications:

Lakers: C+

Common sense suggested that the best approach for the Lakers would be to boost their No. 24-ranked defense, but limited assets made this impossible. A second-round pick wouldn’t remedy their major defensive issues. The team lacks rim protection and has a few key offensive players who are defensive liabilities. With a single second-round pick, they couldn’t significantly reserve their defensive troubles.

Acknowledging this, the Lakers decided to strengthen their offense, recognizing it as their best chance to succeed. While they traditionally excel in free-throw opportunities, their overall offensive efficiency remains sub-par.

If the season ended today, they’d set a record for 2-point field goal percentage and top the NBA in free-throw rate, yet still rank only ninth in offensive production. In light of these facts, trading for a player who leads the league in 3-point percentage, like Kennard, was a crucial move.

Hawks: C+

The Atlanta Hawks, by trading Kennard, demonstrate a strategic approach aiming to convert players not in their long-term plans into draft assets. With the acquisition of Corey Kispert, the Hawks’ decision to let Kennard go aligns with a calculated move to maintain their future flexibility. Utilizing a $13.1 million trade exception, they’ve managed to create a new $11 million exception with this trade, thus paving the path for potential future moves. While they may miss Kennard’s shooting ability, this trade represents a reasonable approach amidst their current evaluation phase.