2018 NBA Draft News: Lakers Announce Isaac Bonga Trade With 76ers

Trevor Lane
2 Min Read

The Los Angeles Lakers selected Moritz Wagner and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk in the 2018 NBA Draft, but another selection, Isaac Bonga, is now officially joining the team after the completion of a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers.

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The deal saw the team send a 2019 second round pick (via the Chicago Bulls) and cash to the 76ers in exchange for Bonga, who was selected with the No. 39 pick.

Due to league rules, teams are limited in the amount of cash they are allowed to accept via trade in a single season, and the 76ers had already hit their limit for the 2017-2018 NBA season.

As a result, the trade could not be made official until the league calendar flipped to 2018-2019.

Bonga, a 6’9″ swingman who plays more like a point guard, will join a Lakers team that added LeBron James this summer, which means there will be pressure to win games. At just 18 years old, Bonga may not fit that bill just yet, so the Lakers could give him time with their G-League team, the South Bay Lakers, while he develops.

Long-term, Bonga’s physical profile and skill set is intriguing and should be a nice fit with what the Lakers are going for if his game continues to develop.

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Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com