With the NBA trade season in full swing, the Los Angeles Lakers have gone into overdrive to find some reinforcements for LeBron James and Anthony Davis. While they’d rather not give up any of their core players, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha said that LeBron and Davis are the only truly untouchables and that anyone else is attainable on some level– for the right price.
“Two players who almost certainly won’t be traded, barring them asking out of Los Angeles, are Davis ($43.2 million) and James ($48.7 million),” wrote Buha. “Despite the recent groundswell from certain media and fans to blow up the roster, the Lakers are not currently considering trading either superstar, according to team and league sources. They want to bolster their supporting cast and continue building around Davis and James.”
The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be active this trade season as they look to improve the roster around their two superstars. Options are somewhat limited for the Lakers and even more so considering that any kind of major trade will require them to give up players they would reportedly rather keep.
“The Lakers have three first-round picks they can trade individually: 2029, 2030, or 2031… The Lakers will likely offer a pick swap or second(s) in place of one of their picks in negotiations,” wrote Lakers insider Jovan Buha. “Rival teams will surely ask for Knecht and Christie, but again, those are two players the Lakers will prioritize keeping. Teams will also likely sniff around on James and Davis, seeing if they can try to pry them away from Los Angeles with an enticing offer of picks and young talent.”
In what is likely the last leg of 39-year-old LeBron James‘ career, the Lakers are going all-in on the championship pursuit and they know that it will take a massive overhaul to put their roster on par with the rest of the NBA elites. Between Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, and Max Christie, the Lakers will have to part ways with some of their young core (and several picks) if they want to make a move to move the needle. The question now is, which players are they likely to target?
We know from prior reporting that the Lakers are looking to shore up their perimeter defense which means they’ll be looking for two-way athletic wings who can play on the outside. The Brooklyn Nets, with a hoard of guys like Dorian Finney Smith, Cam Johnson, and others, could be the team that gives the Lake Show what they need.
If not, the Lakers could also use some more depth in the frontcourt. With Anthony Davis (2020 NBA champion) taking over most of the center duties, having another big man to help back him up and give the Lakers a little insurance could make the difference between winning a series or suffering another early playoff exit.
It remains to be seen what kind of deal the Lakers can negotiate but they are clearly unsatisfied with the current results and are ready to make a change that will elevate their standing in the West.
Of course, it’s imperative that the Lakers make the right trade here or they could set their franchise back for years. If they cannot find a deal that makes them instantly better, they should fall back and hold their assets rather than give up their entire future only to get marginally better.
No doubt, Pelinka and the front office are hard at work finding the best possible trade and, fortunately for them, there’s still plenty of time before February’s trade deadline. Until then, the Lakers will keep trying and working to improve their standing in the West.
The next game for the Lakers is at 10:00 PM EST at Golden1 Center against the Sacramento Kings. It’s the first part of a two-game set against the Kings, which ends on Saturday, December 21st, at 6:00 PM EST. The Lakers finally return home to face the Indiana Pacers at Crpto.com arena at 10:30 PM EST.
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