The Los Angeles Lakers might have arguably emerged as the biggest winners of the 2025 NBA trade deadline before the window even shut. After acquiring Luka Doncic in an incredible trade on Saturday that people still can’t believe, the Lakers doubled down on building around Doncic by acquiring Mark Williams as their center.
The Williams’ acquisition from the Charlotte Hornets was crucial as the Lakers had sent their starting center Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks to land Doncic. The team gave up three first-round picks from 2029 to 2031 to get these deals done, with fans wondering what the next steps could be.
Not only do the Lakers need to worry about contending this season with Doncic and LeBron James on the roster, but they also need to worry about the franchise’s future. With a lot of picks already committed to others, let’s take a look at what assets the Lakers have remaining to make upgrades before the deadline in a couple of hours.
Tradeable Draft Picks
– 2026 First-Round Pick (own)
– 2028 First-Round Pick (own)
– 2025 Second-Round Pick (own)
The Lakers have only three tradeable picks left at their disposal, with two of them technically not allowed to be moved. After moving three second-round picks for Dorian Finney-Smith in December and three first-round picks in the last five days for Doncic and Williams, the Lakers have finally committed to building out their roster instead of holding onto their future assets.
The second-round pick could be valuable as part of a stacked 2025 draft, but it likely will be used for a marginal upgrade or cap dump. The first-round picks likely remain untouched this deadline, as the Lakers need to retain some assets for potential trades in the summer if their current roster can’t win a title this season. The firsts can only be moved as pick swaps due to the Stepien Rule.
The Lakers 2025 first-rounder is going to the Hawks, the 2027 pick is going to the Jazz (top-4 protected), the 2029 pick going to the Mavericks while the 2030 (swap) and 2031 picks are going to the Hornets.
Players Who Could Be Traded
Maxi Kleber, Christian Wood, Shake Milton
The Mavericks have three players on their roster that they ideally will aggressively look for new teams. The most significant name is the newest addition Maxi Kleber, who will take up $11 million in cap space this season with his contract scheduled to expire in 2026, giving him an additional year on the team.
Kleber is sidelined till the end of the regular season with a foot injury and is unlikely to play a role in the Lakers’ push for a title. While he’s a great locker-room presence to have, especially with Doncic on the roster, the Lakers will be aggressively looking to see if his contract can land them a win-now upgrade they can use this season.
Christian Wood is another former Doncic teammate but hasn’t played a single game all season due to injury. His minimum contract likely can’t be moved on its own, so any trade with him likely involves more pieces.
The same goes for Shake Milton, whose multi-year contract is non-guaranteed after this season, providing $2.7 million in cap relief for next season.
Given the Lakers’ weak draft capital, it’s highly unlikely these players get moved before the deadline for anything tangible.
Players Who Will Only Be Traded For Major Upgrades
Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent
The Lakers aren’t restricted to using just the three players who are presumably on the trade block. They have some interesting pieces on their roster that might have a hard time fitting in after all the changes they’ve made.
Rui Hachimura is averaging 12.8 points and 5.1 rebounds this season, with the Japanese forward solidified as a starter. While Dorian Finney-Smith has made his position on the roster insecure, the Lakers won’t trade his $17 million away unless it leads to a major wing upgrade.
Jarred Vanderbilt is averaging 3.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.0 steals after recently returning from injury. He’s proving his worth as an integral piece of defensive lineups but his status on the roster as a one-way player makes him hard to protect. His long-term contract won’t be ideal for opposing teams but his defensive potential could help the Lakers add value in a trade for a real frontcourt upgrade.
Gabe Vincent is averaging 5.1 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists amidst a tough offensive year. He’s kept his place in the rotation by being their best guard defender, a status that’s become even more important now that he’s the only guard behind Doncic and Austin Reaves. Unless a better guard is coming to LA, Vincent will see out this season.
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