The Los Angeles Lakers have somewhat quietly assembled a pretty impressive roster for the 2025-26 season. After finishing this past season with a gaping hole at the center position and a lack of backcourt or wing defenders, they have added center Deandre Ayton, forward Jake LaRavia and former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart while also retaining backup center Jaxson Hayes.
They did, however, lose 3-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets, and as of now, they don’t have any real 3-and-D players.
It is assumed by many that the Lakers are done shaping their roster right now. However, they would likely love to move at least one of their expiring contracts for one more player who can make a consistent impact on both ends of the floor.
Eddie Bitar of Fadeaway World suggested a mock trade with the Brooklyn Nets that would give L.A. guard Terance Mann for Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber and a 2032 second-round draft pick.
“With Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia signed, and Marcus Smart bringing defensive grit to the rotation, the Lakers still needed one final jolt of athletic versatility off the bench,” wrote Bitar. “Enter the three-way deal that would bring Terance Mann to L.A. Mann, newly acquired by the Nets in a three-team trade that sent Kristaps Porziņģis to Atlanta, offers just what the Lakers covet: length, perimeter defense, and hard-nosed effort at both ends.
“Last season, Mann averaged 7.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 36.8% from three. His defensive impact was even more tangible, ranked among the league’s top perimeter stoppers in contest rate and on-ball efficiency. Adding him to a rotation featuring LeBron, Luka, Smart, Ayton, and Reaves offers optimal balance: bench scoring, floor-spacing, and reliable wing defense in high-leverage minutes.”
Lakers fans may remember Mann from the five seasons and change he played for the Los Angeles Clippers. He was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in February and to Brooklyn a few weeks ago.
The 28-year-old may not be the outstanding point-of-attack defender he was a few years ago. But at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, he can still defend at a high level, and he can effectively guard players at multiple positions both on and off the ball.
However, both Vincent and Kleber and a second-round pick seem like too much to give up for a player who would, in all likelihood, come off the bench and has only started in 169 of his 412 career games in the NBA. Perhaps a trade in which the Lakers would acquire a player such as Mann but not overpay would be easier to pull off during the wintertime before the trade deadline, when teams may be willing to trade such players for a lesser return.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Mock trade gives Lakers a high-level 3-and-D guard
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
