Jan. 15 kicked off the second wave of NBA commerce season. The Feb. 8 deadline is lower than three weeks away.
The Los Angeles Lakers will likely be some of the fascinating groups within the league over that interval, as they’ve a monitor report of being aggressive on the deadline. Nobody inside the group is content material with the crew’s 21-21 begin to the season. A transfer is probably going.
The Lakers have three paths they’re weighing, in keeping with crew sources not approved to talk publicly:
Stand pat and retain their property.
Make a small-to-medium transfer, upgrading a rotation spot and/or filling a roster want.
Make a extra important transfer, reshaping the rotation and including a extra notable contributor (or two).
Because the Lakers realized in 2021 and 2022, it’s troublesome to construct a contender with three gamers on most salaries given NBA salary-cap constraints. The third star has to not solely be definitely worth the cash, but additionally complement the crew’s two finest gamers. Russell Westbrook fell brief in each regards, leaving the Lakers considerably apprehensive about making an attempt to recreate a three-star construct.
The Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine is a a lot better match than Westbrook, at the least offensively, however there are reputable issues about his contract and harm historical past. Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray is on a way more manageable deal than LaVine, however he’s slipped defensively this season and has traditionally been a shaky shooter. The worth for the Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen is just too steep for Los Angeles. Pascal Siakam is now off the board after getting traded to the Indiana Pacers. It’s unknown if one other star or star-adjacent participant will emerge — at the least one the Lakers can fairly attain. (Even when, say, Cleveland makes Donovan Mitchell accessible, the Lakers don’t have the property to commerce for him.)
With all that mentioned, let’s dive into some questions and matters that can dominate discussions over the subsequent few weeks.
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Are the Lakers more likely to make a transfer?
Sure, although the magnitude of the transfer stays unclear.
For weeks, the Lakers had been circling Jan. 15 as an necessary date to evaluate their roster. Nonetheless, attributable to a mix of accidents and vacillating lineups, they’ve solely now simply settled on a beginning group and rotation during which they’re assured. Due to this fact, barring an unexpected growth, the Lakers plan to stay affected person and use the subsequent two weeks or so to proceed that analysis course of earlier than making a commerce, in keeping with crew sources. Ready may drive down a few of the asking costs for sure targets, as groups are inclined to overvalue their very own gamers weeks out from the deadline.
The commerce market has extra consumers than sellers, which is able to probably drive up the worth for high quality starters and high-level function gamers, to say nothing of All-Star-caliber ones. The Lakers don’t need to simply shake up their core, even with their disappointing first half of the season. They need to purchase difference-makers to handle a few of their obvious wants: 3-point taking pictures, perimeter pace, athleticism and higher two-way play.
The Lakers’ current surge has been necessary. There was a second in early January when the season was trending towards being misplaced. Had that continued, the Lakers may need determined this group wasn’t price additional funding and stood pat on the deadline. However after wins in 4 of their final six video games, together with victories over West playoff contenders Oklahoma Metropolis, Dallas and the LA Clippers, that’s now not the case. At a minimal, anticipate the Lakers to make a smaller transfer that bolsters their bench. On the other finish of the spectrum, they might purchase one other starter or two.
For the second time in as many video games, coach Darvin Ham pushed again in opposition to the notion that the Lakers’ present roster wants reinforcements whereas concurrently acknowledging there’s all the time room to enhance.
“Once more, everybody retains speaking about, it’s that point of the yr, I assume, however with the commerce talks, and once more, everybody understands on this enterprise that, if there’s alternatives to get higher, you’re going to try this,” Ham mentioned. “However the actuality of it’s, we now have what we had down the stretch final yr, in addition to extra firepower and guys who’re a yr nearer and skilled in taking part in with each other. So, yeah, we will cease trying round and simply have a look at ourselves, look inside ourselves. It’s a ton of wonderful basketball that we will play and a ton of video games that we will win with this group as it’s constructed.”
Which gamers are eligible to be traded?
The whole Lakers roster is eligible to be traded apart from Anthony Davis, who turns into eligible on Feb. 6, and Jarred Vanderbilt, who can’t be traded this season as a result of timing of his offseason contract extension.
As of Jan. 15, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura are eligible to be traded. There was a false impression that D’Angelo Russell additionally couldn’t be traded till Jan. 15, however that’s incorrect. He’s been eligible to be moved since Dec. 15.
Are any Lakers untouchable?
Sure. James and Davis is not going to be traded.
Reaves isn’t technically untouchable, however he’s shut. The Lakers worth him extremely and have no real interest in buying and selling him, in keeping with crew and league sources. He’s on a cost-controlled, team-friendly deal for at the least two extra seasons. For the Lakers to think about shifting Reaves, they’d must obtain both a clear-cut All-Star — somebody higher than Murray or LaVine, for instance — or a number of rotation upgrades, in keeping with these sources.
Each different Laker is on the desk (apart from Vanderbilt, who once more can’t be traded).
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Which gamers are more likely to be traded?
Any sizable deal would nearly actually must contain Russell, who’s making $17.3 million this season and has a $18.7 million participant possibility for the 2024-25 he’ll probably train. Russell waived his de facto no-trade clause when re-signing, which implies the Lakers management if and the place he’s traded.
Bigger offers for any participant or gamers making at the least $30 million mixed would probably require the inclusion of Rui Hachimura, who’s making $15.7 million this season. He has two years and $35.3 million remaining on his contract after this marketing campaign.
Gabe Vincent is making $10.5 million this season and $22.5 million over the subsequent two seasons. He’s out at the least one other three to 5 weeks after left knee surgical procedure.
Max Christie is a sneakily fascinating asset. Sensible groups view him as an underrated 3-and-D wing prospect. He’s nonetheless not even 21 years outdated. However the Lakers would like to maintain Christie.
Rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino’s inventory has dipped because the Lakers chosen him with the No. 17 decide within the 2023 draft, however there’s nonetheless a mystery-box component to his future, as with every first-round decide barely midway via his rookie season.
What is going to groups need from the Lakers?
The Lakers have two enticing property to different groups: Reaves and certainly one of their movable first-round picks (2029 or 2030, with most groups preferring the 2029 decide). The Lakers even have as much as 4 years of swap rights (2026, 2028, 2029 and 2030). They’ve 4 second-round picks as properly.
Virtually any commerce dialogue begins with a crew asking for Reaves and a first-round decide, in keeping with crew sources.
Christie is one other widespread request, however his impending restricted free-agency standing makes him a trickier acquisition for some groups. Relying on one’s view of Hood-Schifino, buying him may very well be just like receiving a first-round decide, given he’s solely midway into his rookie season.
Russell, Hachimura and Vincent are typically seen as neutral-to-negative property, relying on the crew.
Who’re life like commerce targets?
Along with their apparent want for extra 3-point taking pictures, the Lakers consider they’ve three positional wants on the commerce deadline. So as of significance:
Backcourt athleticism and pace — ideally with point-of-attack defensive capabilities.
A two-way wing who slots in properly subsequent to James, Davis and Reaves.
One other defensive-minded backup large man.
It’s going to be troublesome to handle all three wants with one transfer. Even two may not be doable.
LaVine and Murray have been the 2 hottest names related to the Lakers in current months. The LaVine chatter has died down in current weeks, given the size and measurement of his contract affecting future cap flexibility. Los Angeles would nonetheless favor to commerce for DeMar DeRozan and/or Alex Caruso, as The Athletic beforehand reported.
The Murray buzz is simply growing — and to noisy ranges. The Lakers and Hawks have mentioned potential frameworks of a deal, together with a model late final week that centered on Russell, Hood-Schifino, the 2029 first-round decide and extra draft compensation, in keeping with a number of crew and league sources. Talks have since stalled, however are anticipated to select again up nearer to the deadline.
If the Toronto Raptors resolve to maneuver on from Bruce Brown Jr., the Lakers could have curiosity in buying him, in keeping with crew sources. The Lakers coveted Brown final summer time and believed they had been the favorites to signal him utilizing the crew’s nontaxpayer midlevel exception earlier than Indiana swooped in with a cap-space provide. (Los Angeles ultimately signed Vincent with that exception.) Very like he was final summer time, Brown will turn out to be some of the coveted gamers on the commerce market if he’s accessible. Of notice: As a result of Brown was already traded from Indiana to Toronto within the Siakam deal, he can’t be mixed with one other participant in a possible commerce.
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Different names which have come up in talks with crew and league personnel over the previous two weeks embody Portland’s Jerami Grant, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier, Toronto’s Gary Trent Jr. and Brooklyn’s Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale. Every participant fills at the least one of many Lakers’ three wants.
What are the Lakers’ monetary and roster constraints?
As issues stand, the Lakers are $1.26 million over the luxurious tax. They’re $4.9 million below the primary apron, which implies they will’t exceed that complete in the event that they take again extra wage than they ship out in a commerce.
The Lakers have 14 gamers and may take again one extra participant in a deal. In the event that they make a multi-player deal and dip under 14 gamers, they’d have two weeks to get again to the league’s 14-player minimal.
(Prime picture of Dejounte Murray and LeBron James: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Photos)