Luke Walton to Boston for Marcus Banks? By Eric Pincus for HOOPSWORLD.com Sep 17, 2004, 22:19

The summer is finally nearing a close; basketball season is creeping closer and closer. It's been a while since my last Laker Report. Over the summer months, I post monthly whereas during the season it's every week. For those interested, I write for the News@ side of Hoopsworld . . . the subscription service . . . two days a week covering both the Lakers and Clippers. I also write weekly exclusives covering numerous aspects of the NBA beyond the local LA teams. The News@ side has a ton of dedicated writers putting content up non-stop . . . if you have a couple of bucks laying around give it a look.

Enough pitching onto to the Lakers . . .

The Background Back when, August 4th I broke the original trade which at the time included both Marcus Banks and Jumaine Jones to the Lakers. Ultimately when the trade went down on the sixth, Jones was left in Boston with the Lakers forking over a little bit of cash rather than take on his two-year deal. (To be fair, Jeff Clark at CelticsBlog.com separately had a entry up on August 3rd . . . but I just learned that this Friday afternoon. Hard to scoop anyone anymore with this internet thingy). When Gary Payton refused to report for a physical, Banks and Jones were swapped out . . . leaving the Lakers with five small forwards and just two point guards. Going into the season with Chucky Atkins and rookie Sasha Vujacic as the lone defenders at the one is a concern for the organization as neither is known for being much of a stopper . . . to be kind.

Danny Ainge had Laker GM Mitch Kupchak over a barrel. It was either void the deal which would have kept a very disgruntled Gary Payton holding all the leverage regarding any future trade consideration . . . or take the beating. Rather than lose out on young center Chris Mihm and Atkins, Kupchak gave the Celtics back their first round draft pick and Banks was sent packing (with his head spinning). Either way he went, the fans would be upset with Mitch for getting screwed by the long-time nemesis Celtics (Never mind the fact that most Laker fans had never heard of Marcus Banks before).

The problem though with losing Banks is that he is one of the quickest guards in the league. He boasts a long wingspan and has a strong dedication to defense. His offense is slightly similar to Mark Madsen's in the sense that he goes all out non-stop. The energy is good . . . but do you want your point guard beating the entire offense down court and taking it to the hole against two defenders? His playmaking skills are suspect but he can put some points on the board. Boston has once-upon-a-time point guard Doc Rivers taking the reigns this season and after watching Banks turn the ball over nonstop in the summer league, Ainge was given the message that Doc didn't want this wildcat running his team. They called the Lakers soliciting veteran point Payton and the rest is the sordid history.

The Missing Point Since the deal soured, the Lakers have been searching for options at the point. With nothing more than the minimum to spend, LA has very little leverage. Sure there are the trade exceptions, but who wants to give LA a player who makes less than $2 million for a second round draft pick? Earl Watson sounds great but will Jerry West gift wrap him to LA for nothing? Seemingly the answer has been no . . . LA is still short a point guard.

There are other options like camp invites Tony Bobbitt, Nate Johnson or some unknown yet to be plucked from obscurity. Bobbitt can defend but isn't a point by any stretch. Johnson is an undrafted rookie but is he NBA material?

How about Caron Butler or even Kobe Bryant at the one? LA should put their best players on the floor and with the playmaking skills of Bryant along with forward Lamar Odom, could Butler get the job done in the back court? Regardless of the roster come November, the Lakers will give that lineup a look here and there . . . but as a primary option? Probably not. Butler is a good defender but not necessarily quick enough to guard Tony Parker, Mike Bibby and the water bug points that have been killing LA the last few years. It's not clear that Caron has the ball handling skills to handle pressure while trying to initiate the offense.

Do the Lakers want Kobe chasing the point guard all day? Offensively he's the one to get double-teamed . . . the goal would be to get the ball out of his hands while the offensive sets are run to free Bryant up for the shot. Now he has to initiate, give it up, get it back and score? Sounds like the typical situation of year's past where Kobe's getting the ball with three seconds left on the clock and the defender in his face.

The bottom line is that the Lakers need another point guard. Bryant and Odom will handle the ball enough that a true point isn't the requirement. Atkins will fit the bill well offensively, but I weigh more than he does and I'm only 5'7".

The wild rumors of Jason Kidd or Baron Davis are a bit too far fetched. The Lakers aren't moving Lamar Odom and neither New Jersey nor New Orleans will take Brian Grant's contract. It'd be best for Laker fans holding the torch to accept it as such.

LA has looked at the other avenues and to this point has come up dry. Long term the team has three young prospects they can trade for an impact player . . . Caron Butler, Kareem Rush and Luke Walton. If the Lakers cannot bring in a big man who has a legitimate post presence who can block shots and rebound, Butler is likely their best bait. It may not happen until next season or at all, but with Bryant and Odom established at their positions, Butler may one day have to go.

That said . . . Butler isn't going to be moved for a point guard.

Kareem Rush is one of the few shooters the Lakers have on the roster. Although his numbers aren't very consistent, the team still has high hopes that he'll be a crucial part of the Laker bench. Kareem has the best chance long term of remaining a Laker . . . assuming he can accept the role of sixth man. If Butler proves to be an excellent compliment to Kobe and Lamar, then the Lakers could have a change of heart and Kareem could be on the block.

Finally, there's Luke Walton. The Lakers would have been swept by the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals if it wasn't for the impact Luke had on Game Two. With basketball savvy beyond his years, a strong work ethic and a positive attitude . . . the organization holds Luke in very high regard. Unfortunately with Odom, Butler and even Kobe capable of holding down the small forward spot, minutes for Walton may prove sparse

In the end, it is Luke who is the most likely piece to be moved. If the Lakers cannot find a player who can defend at the point guard position, moving Luke may be the team's only hope.

LA\Boston Redux The primary reason Boston needed Banks back was their own concerns at the point. Without Banks AND Payton, rookie Delonte West would be in over his head. The Celts are extremely high on West, but Delonte coming off the bench behind Payton is the Boston game plan. Although Jiri Welsch is not a point, he can fill in spot minutes behind Payton and West if needed. Rookie Tony Allen has shown enough defensive skills to warrant minutes at the one defensively and would cushion the blow of losing Banks. Once Payton was a problem, the original scenario was blown out the water.

Recent reports however are suggesting that GP will report to camp. Long term he's not likely to stay in Boston past a year, but the trade demand may have been rescinded. If the Celtics are confident that the Glove is onboard, Banks once again becomes expendable. It was a very awkward situation which led to Bank's father exclaiming that Danny Ainge was a liar. Sure everything has been smoothed over, but Doc and company still have a wild point guard they may ultimately not have minutes for.

Inside information out of Boston has indicated that the Lakers and Celtics may be working on another deal once the Celtics have confirmation that Payton is good to go. Marcus Banks and seldom used Yogi Stewart to the Lakers for Luke Walton and Devean George.

The Lakers would hate to see Walton go, but it amounts to losing your third string small forward for a young point guard who ultimately could grow into the starting role. George is recovering from ankle surgery and will miss at least the first months of the season. He never healed correctly from that spill he took against the San Antonio Spurs back in the 2003 playoffs but should be back to normal once he mends. Although he had some excellent moments in Los Angeles, he hasn't performed up to expectations after the Lakers gave him a nice contract.

Yogi Stewart has been floundering on the Celtics bench and probably would do the same in LA. Call him insurance in case Karl Malone doesn't return to the team.

The deal would end up costing the Celts about $2.5 million in additional salary since George has a two-year deal and Stewart is the last of his contract.

Boston is stocked with too many players on the roster with 17 bodies to fill 15 spots. The team is looking into moving Rick Fox, Yogi Stewart and possibly Jiri Welsch to bring back an impact power forward. Ricky Davis has been getting a very positive report based on his summer workouts, but he could be on the block as well. If they don't make a big trade, Fox will likely retire and Ernest Brown with a non-guaranteed contract will probably be given his walking papers.

With nothing else lined up, Danny Ainge may make this smaller deal with LA which helps both teams balance the roster slightly. The Celtics would have a ton of talent at the swing position. Here would be their projected roster:

PG: Gary Payton\Delonte West SG: Ricky Davis\Jiri Welsh\Tony Allen SF: Paul Pierce\Luke Walton\Devean George\Justin Reed PF: Walter McCarty\Al Jefferson\Kendrick Perkins\Tom Gugliotta C: Mark Blount\Raef LaFrentz

This assumes that Brown is cut and Fox retires. Boston would still be in a position to make a nice deal to improve at power forward. Blount and LaFrentz could start together in the front court. Some of these questions may not be answered pre-season as the team gets a look at what Jefferson, Perkins and Walton can do on the court. Luke can play power forward at times, especially in the East. Against the Corliss Williamson types he's overmatched, but Phil Jackson put him at the four more often than the three once Malone was injured.

There's something to be said for Boston bringing in the son of a once great Celtic, Hall of Fame Center Bill Walton. Luke is a gem on any team and the Celtic fans would take him in as warmly as the Staples crowd.

The Celtics are still overloaded, but it's better to have too much talent than not enough.

As far as the Lakers, the roster suddenly makes sense after the proposed trade:

PG: Chucky Atkins\Marcus Banks\Sasha Vujacic SG: Kobe Bryant\Kareem Rush\Tony Bobbitt SF: Lamar Odom\Caron Butler\Jumaine Jones PF: Brian Grant\Slava Medvedenko\Brian Cook C: Vlade Divac, Chris Mihm, Yogi Stewart

Karl Malone is still a question mark. He has made it clear that he won't announce his decision until he's 100% sure he can play on his repaired knee. Keep in mind he had the same surgery that Chris Webber, Jamal Mashburn and Jason Kidd had on their respective knees . . . micro-fracture surgery to let blood flow initiate cartilage re-growth. That's a pretty serious deal. If Karl does play, there's a decent chance he returns . . . but Minnesota and San Antonio offer plausible chances to earn that elusive ring. Clearly he's not a lock, but since he enrolled his kids in LA area schools, the Lakers have a good shot. If he does return, he probably won't be ready by opening day.

The Lakers will likely cut Nate Johnson before camp. If Malone does return, an additional Laker needs to be moved. The Celtics don't need any other players, so either Brian Cook or Jumaine Jones (and cash) could he shopped for a second round draft pick. If that doesn't work, reluctantly the Lakers may have to waive Bobbitt whose contract is not guaranteed. Assuming Dr. Jerry Buss will pay for a 15-man roster, that's the proposed 2004-5 Los Angeles Lakers.

The Bottom Line Mitch Kupchak has done a solid job of rebuilding the Los Angeles Lakers around Kobe Bryant thus far. Unfortunately the job is not yet complete and the Lakers are very suspect defensively at point guard. Kupchak has one strike against him after the original trade with the Celtics blew up in his face. If the rumored trade went through, the complete Laker\Celtic transaction would be:

Gary Payton, Rick Fox, Luke Walton, Devean George and a number one pick for

Chucky Atkins, Chris Mihm, Marcus Banks, Jumaine Jones and Yogi Stewart.

From the Laker perspective, the deal brings in two legitimate prospects in Mihm and Banks and a solid back up point (who will probably start) in Atkins. The marginal cost would be two aging players not part of the long term equation and a small forward who did not live up to expectations. The legitimate costs would be losing Luke Walton and that number one pick.

The Celtics are in their own rebuilding process and Walton would be a nice addition to their squad. Boston should have a legitimate shot at the number three or four seed in the East which would land them home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Once again Gary Payton could spoil any deal by refusing to play for the Celtics . . . but that doesn't appear to be the case..

In the long run, the deal doesn't answer all questions for either team, but on paper it improves both squads.

As far as the Lakers, the benefits of the deal clearly outweigh the costs. The team would be primed for a legitimate playoff run in the West.

Would they beat the San Antonio Spurs or Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs?

Probably not . . . but the franchise would be in good position considering they just traded the most dominant center of the modern era in Shaquille O'Neal