The deal
Clippers get: Michael Beasley and Ivica Zubac
Lakers get: Mike Muscala
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Los Angeles Lakers: D+
When I warned the Lakers not to overvalue Zubac in my recent analysis of their young talent, this wasn't exactly what I was thinking. Giving up a 21-year-old player who's been starting effectively in return for a veteran journeyman seems to be a case of the Lakers overvaluing shooting in response to undervaluing it last summer.
Muscala indeed brings a stretch dimension the Lakers haven't gotten from their rotation centers this season. The Lakers have a combined 12 3-pointers from their four centers this season, 11 of them from rookie Moe Wagner in his 137 minutes of action. (The other came from JaVale McGee on one of his eight attempts.) Muscala hit more than five times that many (68) with the Philadelphia 76ers before being included in this week's deal with the Clippers, and is a career 37 percent shooter beyond the arc.
Alas, defensive limitations have prevented Muscala from ever holding down a regular starting job in the NBA. According to Second Spectrum data on NBA Advanced Stats, opponents have shot 60 percent inside 5 feet with Muscala as a primary defender, as compared to 52.5 percent against the bigger Zubac. Muscala is preferable as a power forward defensively, and while that versatility has value, the Lakers have less need of help at the 4. So they'll probably hope that the combination of LeBron James and a shooting 5 proves as potent in L.A. as it was in Cleveland with the more dangerous Channing Frye.
It's unlikely Muscala has a long-term future with the Lakers, which makes dealing Zubac a painful cost to improve their chances of claiming the eighth seed in the Western Conference. While Zubac might have been difficult to include in an Anthony Davis offer this summer as a restricted free agent, he still looked like a useful piece for the Lakers to either keep or trade.
This move has the side effect of clearing a roster spot for the Lakers, and we'll see how they fill it. If the answer is Carmelo Anthony, a possibility ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski indicated after the trade, then recent history suggests he's a downgrade from Beasley.
LA Clippers: A
The Clippers had to be thrilled for this opportunity to deal with their co-tenants at Staples Center. Zubac is an ideal fit on a team hoping to use cap space this summer because of his bargain $1.9 million cap hold as a restricted free agent. If the Clippers indeed land a star or two, they can keep just that hold on the books before going over the cap to re-sign Zubac to a larger deal.
Though he's not the kind of athlete new Clippers teammate Montrezl Harrell is, Zubac can fill a similar role as a finisher in the pick-and-roll and rim protector on defense. Even in a league where those players are increasingly available, there's still value in them, particularly when they come cheap.
Muscala likely had no place in the Clippers' long-term plans and was included in the Sixers deal strictly as an expiring contract. Likewise, Beasley isn't a fit for the Clippers, and Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported the initial plan is to release him.