The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly could wait another month to make a trade to improve the roster in the 2022-23 season.
Los Angeles now has more options in the trade market now that players who signed deals this past offseason can be traded, but it doesn’t appear that the team will rush into a deal.
“Not for at least two to four weeks (the end of December through mid-January), according to multiple league sources with knowledge of their plans,” The Athletic’s Jovan Buha wrote.
“NBA trade history shows that trades don’t happen until January on the early side. Most happen within the final week of the trade deadline. There are exceptions, of course, and the Lakers hope to be one of them.”
There are a few avenues that the Lakers can explore in the trade market, as they have some expiring deals that could be valuable to teams that are out of the playoff race or looking to amass draft capital.
Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn and Patrick Beverley are three players with expiring deals that the Lakers could use to match salary in an attempt to improve the roster.
However, Westbrook has been playing well in a sixth man role this season, so the team may not be as quick to move on from him.
Still, it was reported this week that there are concerns about his fit alongside LeBron James once the team has to shorten its rotation in the playoffs.
It’s still likely that the Lakers would have to attach one of their first-round picks, either in the 2027 or 2029 NBA Draft, to move Westbrook prior to the deadline.
Los Angeles could also look to move Beverley, who was acquired in a deal with the Utah Jazz in the offseason. Beverley brings a lot of defensive grit to the roster, but he has struggled mightily on offense this season.
The veteran guard is shooting just 30.3 percent from the field and 25.4 percent from beyond the arc for the Lakers. Nunn is a young player that could be enticing for a team that wants to move off an unwanted contract for Beverley’s expiring deal.
Lakers fans may want the team to make immediate improvements, but the team has to hold out for a trade that it believes will actually improve the roster around James and Anthony Davis.
Los Angeles currently sits at 11-16 and in the No. 12 spot in the Western Conference. It’s possible that even making a trade doesn’t change the Lakers’ chances of winning an NBA title.
However, a deal could make the team a more viable playoff option if the Lakers get the right players.
For now, it appears Rob Pelinka and the team’s front office will take their time when looking for a trade.
