The Los Angeles Lakers sport a 14-12 record in this 2024-25 season and it has become clear they need to make trades if they hope to become title contenders. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha believes the Lakers will make a trade before the deadline and listed nine names to keep in mind, with Jonas Valanciunas at the top of that list.
“The buzziest name in league circles, who’s been attached to the Lakers dating back to the summer, is Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas ($9.9 million salary this season). He checks the box of a big, bruising, physical center, though his defensive mobility is limited and he can be targeted on that end (as the Lakers did twice in high-stakes games to close the 2023-24 regular season and in the Play-In game).”
Valanciunas is averaging 12.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game for the Washington Wizards in 2024-25. As Buha pointed out, he isn’t a great defender, but he would still be a major upgrade over every backup big the Lakers have. NBA insider Michael Scotto believes the Lakers would look to acquire Valanciunas by offering Gabe Vincent and second-round picks.
Two other areas of concern for the Lakers are perimeter defense and outside shooting and that’s where the next two names come in. Buha points to Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn Nets as two players the team could go after.
“After trading Schroder, Brooklyn is expected to make wings Cam Johnson ($22.5 million but with a likely cap hit of $27 million) and Dorian Finney-Smith ($14.9 million) available — and much sooner than the Feb. 6 deadline. Both have been tied to the Lakers for months. The Lakers have been interested in Finney-Smith for at least a couple of years.”
Johnson is averaging 18.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the Nets in 2024-25. He has shot 43.1% from beyond the arc and would greatly help a team that has struggled from beyond the arc. We came up with a couple of ways in which the Lakers could land Johnson.
As for Finney-Smith, he is averaging 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Nets. He is the type of top-class 3-and-D player this team has lacked in the last couple of seasons and would be a terrific addition.
Buha also reported that while the Lakers are likely to make a move in late January or just before the February deadline, they could make an exception for Valanciunas, Johnson, and Finney-Smith. They clearly appear to be the top targets but the front office does have other options in mind too.
“Other names that have come up in talks with team and league personnel over the past few weeks include Utah’s Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton, Toronto’s Bruce Brown Jr., Portland’s Jerami Grant and Robert Williams III and Washington’s Kyle Kuzma.”
Kessler has been linked with the Lakers for a while now and is averaging 11.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 steals, and 2.8 blocks per game for the Utah Jazz in 2024-25. Should they miss out on Valanciunas, he wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize.
Sexton, meanwhile, is averaging 16.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 0.6 steals per game for the Jazz. He would be an interesting addition but doesn’t really fill a pressing need.
Bruce Brown would fill a need as he is another 3-and-D player, and the Lakers have reportedly been after him for a while. Brown has yet to play this season as he is recovering from a knee injury but would be a good addition if they miss out on Finney-Smith.
Jerami Grant is another to have been targeted by the Lakers for a while and he is averaging 16.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2024-25. For his standards, Grant hasn’t had a great season and could perhaps be available for a cheaper price than he was in the past.
As for Williams, he is averaging 9.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game for the Trail Blazers. He is another quality alternative should they miss out on the top target. We came up with a mock trade that sees the Lakers land both Grant and Williams.
Last but not least, we get to former Laker Kyle Kuzma, who is averaging 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game for the Wizards. Like Grant, Kuzma isn’t having a great season and they might not have to give up much to get him.
The Lakers don’t seem to be interested in wanting to give up a lot in a trade or take in massive salaries at this point. According to Buha, the Lakers are unlikely to trade for the likes of Jimmy Butler, Brandon Ingram, and Zach LaVine. They are looking at smaller moves and seem confident they’d be enough to turn their season around.
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