Based on the latest intel out of Los Angeles, we know that the Lakers still have plans to add some talent and beef up the roster before the start of next season. But according to Lakers insider Jovan Buha, the value of key role-players like D’Angelo Russell and others is at an all-time low and it will limit their potential to make significant moves.
“D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, they have somewhere between neutral to negative trade value across the league,” said Buha. “There are certain teams that have interest in maybe one of those guys, but there are very few if any teams that have interest in multiple of those guys, and that’s ultimately been why the Lakers have not been able to find a deal.”
Fresh off a first-round elimination at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers came into this offseason with ambitions of adding star talent to the rotation. One by one, all of the top targets became unavailable, from Paul George to Klay Thompson and even DeMar DeRozan.
We know that the Lakers could still be in play for guys such as Dorian Finney-Smith or Jerami Grant but the price for those additions will be steep and the Lakers may not have enough to pay right now. Across the league, faith has dwindled in some of the Lakers’ role-players.
In the case of D’Angelo Russell, he’s been on the rumor mill for months now after a so-and-so showing during the 2023-24 campaign. The Lakers acquired him as part of the Russell Westbrook trade but he was never viewed as a long-term point guard for them.
Russell, 28, averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game on 45% shooting last season. He was the starting point guard for the Lakers and had stretches of great shooting from three. Sadly, Russell has always struggled with consistency and when it came time to step up for the playoffs, he became nearly unplayable due to his inability to hit shots and his flaws on the defensive end.
Rui Hachimura is more reliable if for no other reason than his size and length as a 6’8″ swingman. He could be a major asset for any roster in the right situation but he’s not the type of player who can elevate the ceiling of a contending team. The same can be said of Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent, who were barely healthy enough to make a difference last season.
In truth, besides the two stars, Austin Reaves, and their last remaining draft picks, the Lakers really don’t have much to offer in any trade for a high-level contributor. This lack of interest across the league is arguably the biggest reason why the Lakers are in such a stagnant state right now.
Unless Rob Pelinka can pull off a last-minute miracle, this Lakers team may be stuck how they are and they’ll have to start next season with mostly the same group that just got bounced in the first round. The challenge will be extreme for new coach JJ Redick in his first season but there is optimism that he can bring out the most in this group and get them to a place they haven’t been since the 2020 bubble.
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