The Los Angeles Lakers are currently sitting at 24-15, the 5th seed in the West, and the clock is already ticking with the trade deadline set for February 5.
This is the part of the season where you can feel what the roster is missing in the biggest moments. The Lakers can score, but when the game slows down and the matchups get nasty, they still need that real two-way wing who can guard up a position, chase shooters, and still punish teams for helping off him.
That’s why the “3-and-D” hunt keeps coming up in basically every rumor cycle around the Lakers. Herb Jones has been one of the most commonly linked names in league chatter, and he’s the exact type of defender that changes your whole identity.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Kuminga has popped up in the deadline conversation too, especially now that his situation has shifted and teams like the Lakers have been mentioned as potential suitors. And Andrew Wiggins is another name that keeps floating as a “plug-and-play wing” option if the right framework exists.
We’ll see which players actually make the most sense as deadline targets for the Lakers, and which fits are real instead of just loud internet smoke.
1. Andrew Wiggins
The Lakers’ biggest headache is still the same, wing defense that doesn’t kill the spacing. That’s why Andrew Wiggins keeps feeling like the “adult in the room” target. He’s on the Heat, who are the 8 seed in the East at 21-20, and his price might get lower at the deadline.
On the court, Wiggins is giving you exactly what a win-now team wants from a two-way forward: 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, with 46.8% from the field and a legit 40.2% from three. He’s also at 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks, which matters because it shows he’s not just “present” defensively, he’s making plays.
The Heat context is simple: they’re in that messy middle where every season turns into “can we punch up in the playoffs?” Wiggins helps them stay competitive now, but that same contract size also makes him the type of name that shows up in deadline math when teams start reshuffling around their core. He’s valuable, but he’s also movable.
For the Lakers, the fit is painfully obvious. You need a wing who can take the nastiest matchup so your stars don’t waste energy chasing, and you need someone defenses actually respect from deep. Wiggins checks both boxes right now, and he does it without demanding the ball. He can live off catch-and-shoots, he can attack a closeout with two dribbles, and he can survive when possessions turn into isolation junk late.
The underrated part is lineup flexibility. Wiggins lets you play bigger without turning into a brick-laying lineup, because 40.2% from three changes the geometry immediately. The Lakers also get another athlete who can finish in transition, which matters because they’ve had too many lineups where only one or two guys can actually put pressure on the rim.
The downside is the price tag. $28.2 million means this is not a “cute” deal, it’s a real swing, real matching salary, real assets. But if the Lakers are serious about surviving the West, the cleanest upgrade is still size plus two-way competence on the wing. Wiggins is one of the few names here that feels like an immediate playoff translation, not a regular-season mirage.
2. Keon Ellis
Not every deadline target has to be a headline; sometimes you just need a rotation piece that stops the bleeding. That’s where Keon Ellis comes in. He’s on the Kings, who are the 14th seed in the West at 10-34.
Keon Ellis is the sneaky “cheap fix” that actually makes sense if the Lakers want perimeter defense without paying the premium wing tax. His scoring is light, 5.3 points per game, and he’s at 1.3 rebounds and 0.6 assists, but the real selling points are disruption and survival skills: 1.1 steals, 0.5 blocks, and a willingness to pick up and annoy people. Shooting-wise, he’s at 38.4% from the field and 35.7% from three.
The Kings context is why this is even a conversation. When a team is buried in the standings, role players on small salaries become exactly the kind of pieces contenders try to pry loose. Ellis also fits the profile of a guy teams ask about because he’s cheap, defends, and you can talk yourself into the shot coming around. There’s been recent reporting that multiple teams have interest in him, including the Lakers.
For the Lakers, Ellis would have one clear job: guard the ball, chase shooters, blow up actions early so the whole defense doesn’t collapse into rotation chaos. The Lakers have had too many games where the point of attack is a free lane, then everything becomes help, scramble, open corner three. A pest guard changes that math even if he only plays 16 to 20 minutes.
Offensively, he’s not here to create. He’s here to keep the ball moving and take open threes without hesitation. Even at 35.7%, the volume plus willingness matters, because the worst thing in a star-led offense is a role guy who catches and freezes. If he’s open, shoot. If he’s chased, swing. If the defense forgets him, cut. That’s the Lakers dream job description.
The best part is the salary slot. At $2.3 million, the Lakers can chase Ellis without nuking the rest of their deadline flexibility. The risk is also clear: if the shot stays shaky and teams ignore him, his offense can turn into a spacing problem. But for this cost, you’re really buying defense and effort, and honestly, that’s where the Lakers have needed the most dependable help.
3. Nic Claxton
If the Lakers want a move that changes the way the game feels, not just the way it looks on paper, a real rim-protecting, switch-capable big is the swing. That’s Nic Claxton.
Claxton is having a seriously interesting season because he’s not just finishing lobs, he’s playmaking too. He’s averaging 12.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, with 58.1% from the field and 1.4 blocks. He’s also at 65.0% from the line, which matters late because teams will test that. The assist jump is the loud part, that’s “point-center” energy.
The Nets make the availability angle feel real, although recent reporting stated they are keen on keeping him for the future. A team sitting near the bottom has to decide what direction it’s going, and Claxton’s contract plus his value around the league makes him the type of piece that can bring back actual assets if the Nets pivot harder into a reset.
For the Lakers, the fit is basically a basketball cheat code next to high-usage creators. Put Claxton in pick-and-roll and he lives at the rim. Defenses load up on the stars, and suddenly Claxton is catching at the nail, taking one dribble, and making a read, which is where the assists become a weapon. If he’s really processing like that, teams can’t just blitz and recover, because you’re giving the center a 4-on-3.
Defensively, he gives the Lakers a spine. The Lakers have had stretches where the paint feels soft or where the big rotation forces weird compromises. Claxton helps you keep the rim protected without playing terrified of every switch, because he’s mobile enough that teams can’t just hunt him every possession. He’s not a shooter, so you still need smart spacing around him, but his rim pressure is spacing in its own way because it collapses defenses.
The obvious drawback is cost. $25.4 million means salary matching, and it means the Nets would want something real back. But if the Lakers want a target who can change their defensive ceiling and make their offense more punishing against traps, Claxton is one of the few names here that genuinely shifts a playoff series instead of just adding another jersey to the bench.
4. Herb Jones
The Lakers keep searching for a wing who turns tough matchups into something manageable, and the best version of that idea is a true defensive menace who can still function offensively. That’s Herb Jones.
Jones is not having a pretty shooting season, but the defensive value is still elite-level. He’s averaging 9.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, with 1.7 steals. The splits are rough: 39.4% from the field and 33.3% from three, but he’s at 81.3% from the line, which usually hints there’s touch and the jumper can stabilize.
The Pelicans are the 14th seed in the West at 10-34, and that is the only reason you even entertain this. When a team is stuck at the bottom, everything gets questioned. But Jones is also the exact type of player teams hate giving up, because you don’t replace a stopper wing easily. That’s why, if the Lakers want him, the offer probably has to hurt.
Fit-wise, it’s disgusting in the best way. Jones gives you a perimeter defender who can chase actions, blow up handoffs, and basically make stars work for oxygen. In the playoffs, that’s not a luxury, that’s a necessity.
The Lakers have had too many possessions where they’re forced to help early, then the whole defense bends, then the corner three is wide open. A true stopper reduces the need for early help, and it keeps the structure intact.
Offensively, the Lakers wouldn’t be asking him to be a scorer. They’d be asking him to be playable. Hit enough open threes to punish disrespect, cut hard when the defense stares at the stars, and keep the ball moving. Even at 33.3%, he’s making 1.4 threes per game, so the threat exists if the confidence stays up.
The contract is a huge plus. $13.9 million is a clean number for deadline matching compared to the bigger names. The risk is the jumper staying shaky and becoming a spacing problem in a playoff series. But my opinion is simple: the Lakers need defense that travels, and Jones is one of the few wings in the league who can tilt an entire series with defense alone. If the Lakers can get him, that’s the type of move that screams “we’re built for April.”
5. Jonathan Kuminga
Some targets are about raising your floor, others are about swinging for a ceiling you can’t reach with safe moves. Jonathan Kuminga is the ceiling swing.
The Warriors are the 8th seed in the West at 23-19. ESPN reported he demanded a trade, and the reporting around his situation has made it clear there’s real tension around his role. Jake Fischer even went as far as saying the Lakers have been monitoring his availability since the offseason, so you know there’s real interest.
Kuminga’s season line shows both the talent and the volatility: 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 18 games, with 43.1% from the field and 32.0% from three. He’s not a consistent shooter, and he’s not a polished decision-maker yet, but the athletic pop is still ridiculous for a forward.
For the Lakers, the fit starts with one side: rim pressure. Too often the Lakers’ wing minutes turn into standing, watching, and hoping the stars bail them out. Kuminga can catch the ball with a tilted defense and go straight into a downhill attack. He can punish a closeout, he can run the floor, and he can generate free throws and paint touches without needing a perfectly drawn play. That matters when playoff possessions get ugly.
Defensively, he’s still more “tools” than “results,” but the tools are real. If the Lakers can put him in a clearer role, defend hard, rebound, run, and attack, he can become a two-way piece that changes the physical profile of the roster. You don’t need him to be Herb Jones tomorrow. You need him to compete, use his size, and keep improving.
The risk is obvious: if the jumper doesn’t come around and the defense isn’t locked in, coaches will shorten the rotation and he’s the first guy to lose minutes. There’s also the contract situation: at $22.5 million this year and only a Team Option for the next one, his stint could become very short for what the Lakers would have to give up to get him.
And the rumor context is what makes it realistic, because “trade request plus role conflict” is how talent actually moves at the deadline.
6. Keldon Johnson
There’s a certain kind of wing who makes games feel more physical the second he checks in, and the Lakers could use more of that. That’s Keldon Johnson. He’s on the Spurs, who are the 2 seed in the West at 28-13, and his 2025-26 salary is $17.5 million.
Keldon is producing like the exact role scorer contenders love: 13.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, while shooting 56.3% from the field and 41.3% from three. That’s not “good for a bench guy,” that’s elite efficiency, period. When a wing is over 40% from three and still finishing like a power forward, you have to take it seriously.
The Spurs context is what makes this one tricky. They’re winning, they’re near the top of the West, and teams in that spot don’t usually sell productive pieces for fun. So the Lakers’ angle would depend on whether the Spurs want to reshape the roster for an even higher playoff ceiling, or if they decide a different archetype fits better. Johnson’s name becomes interesting in that scenario because he’s valuable and his salary is a real matching slot.
For the Lakers, the fit is basically two needs at once: wing scoring and toughness without sacrificing spacing. Johnson doesn’t need to be spoon-fed. He attacks closeouts hard, he runs the lane, and he rebounds like he’s mad at the ball. In playoff basketball, you need at least one wing who can bully a mismatch and steal you possessions when the offense gets sticky.
The shooting is the separator. If he was a non-shooter, you’d worry about him getting ignored. But at 41.3% from three, you can’t help off him, and that keeps the floor open for the stars. That’s why he’s such a clean fit, the Lakers don’t have to compromise their spacing to get more physical.
Defensively, he’s not a pure stopper, but he competes and he’s strong enough to hold his ground. The real question is cost. At $17.5 million, plus whatever the Spurs would demand for a piece they actually use in winning lineups, it won’t be cheap. Still, if the Lakers are hunting an impact wing who adds scoring punch and doesn’t fold physically, Johnson is one of the best answers on this list.
7. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Sometimes the best deadline target is the guy who already knows how to play winning basketball next to stars, no drama, no learning curve, just plug-and-go. That’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Caldwell-Pope is doing exactly what he’s always done: give you two-way role production you can trust in real games. He’s averaging 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 21.1 minutes, with 40.5% from the field, 34.8% from three, and an absurd 93.1% from the line.
The Grizzlies are the 11th seed in the West at 17-23, outside the top 10 right now, and when teams are in that zone, they start weighing whether it’s worth keeping veterans or flipping them for assets, flexibility, or younger pieces, which is the actual reporting around a trade for Ja Morant right now.
Caldwell-Pope also sits in that sweet spot where contenders value him more than rebuilding teams do, because his impact is mostly in the details that win playoff possessions.
For the Lakers, the fit is ridiculously clean. He spaces, he relocates, he doesn’t hijack possessions, and he guards. That’s the entire job. The Lakers have had too many role guys who are either offense-only or defense-only.
Caldwell-Pope stays playable because he does both. He can chase shooters, fight through screens, and take tough matchups so your stars don’t spend their whole night navigating picks.
Offensively, you’re not trading for a creator, you’re trading for reliability. He’s the guy who turns a LeBron drive into a punished rotation, not a wasted kick-out. Even if the 34.8% from three isn’t elite, the willingness and the reputation still matter, defenders don’t want to be the one who leaves him clean.
The main drawback is salary matching at $21.6 million, and the fact that the Lakers would be paying for playoff value more than flashy counting stats. But that’s exactly why I like it. Playoff basketball is about who stays on the floor. Caldwell-Pope stays on the floor, and that alone makes him one of the smartest targets the Lakers can chase before February.
Final Thoughts
If we’re talking the most realistic, most “this could actually happen,” I’m starting with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Grizzlies keep living in the Ja Morant rumor universe, and when that kind of noise hangs over a team, the veteran contracts around the edges become the first domino candidates.
KCP at $21.6 million is exactly that kind of piece, valuable to contenders, movable in one clean move, and not the type of player the Grizzlies would build their entire future around if they pivot. If the Grizzlies even sniff a retool, KCP becomes a very real phone call.
Keon Ellis feels like the most probable “Lakers actually do it” target, because it already fits the way deadline deals happen. The Kings are in a spot where listening makes sense, and Ellis is a cheap, playable defender at $2.3 million.
That’s the kind of contract contenders chase when they want a rotation upgrade without blowing up their books. And they can make an offer that gets a conversation going: Dalton Knecht plus a pick. The Kings get a young wing who can shoot, plus an asset, and the Lakers get a guard defender who can actually stay attached and make life annoying for opposing ball-handlers.
Andrew Wiggins is the swing option, and it depends on whether the Heat are really leaning into the long game. If the Heat truly want cap flexibility for 2027-28 and they’re eyeing the “big game hunting” window for someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokic, then moving $28.2 million off the books becomes a real priority instead of a cute idea.
From the Lakers side, the cost probably hurts. Rui Hachimura feels like the type of salary the Heat would want in a Wiggins framework if they’re trying to stay competitive, not just dump money.
But if the Heat angle is “clean the books,” then the Lakers can get creative: expiring money like Maxi Kleber and Gabe Vincent, add Knecht, toss in a salary filler with picks, and suddenly the Heat get exactly what they want, flexibility and a young asset, while the Lakers get a legit two-way wing who fits the job.
So yeah, my order is pretty much that: Ellis and KCP are the most realistic because the league logic is simple and the deals don’t need a miracle. Wiggins is the one who becomes real if the Heat actually commits to the long-term cap plan and treats the deadline like a bookkeeping opportunity, not just a basketball one.
