Report: Lakers showing interest in Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr.

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t done much to inspire hope among their fan base ahead of the 2024-25 NBA campaign, but there’s still time left for the team to make a splash this offseason.

Los Angeles has been linked to some key names via trade, and the buzz isn’t dying yet, with the team reportedly having interest in players like Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr.

“In the coming weeks, the league’s trade market is expected to heat up, and the hope in Lakerland is that once that happens, the team will be in position to make the kind of move that can push them back into contender-hood,” wrote Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports.

“But the pickings are going to be slim. The Lakers have interest in Lauri Markkanen of the [Utah] Jazz, but likely won’t have enough capital on hand to get him to L.A. The list of other possible targets—from Zach LaVine and Jerami Grant to Walker Kessler and Malcolm Brogdon—likely won’t move the needle much for the Lakers.

“One guy of interest, though, who could help the Lakers check a few boxes remains a possible trade target: [Orlando] Magic center Wendell Carter Jr.”

An earlier report from Lakers Daily’s Anthony Irwin linked the Lakers to players like Kyle Kuzma, Jerami Grant and others. It’s unclear where things stand on those possible targets.

Markkanen and Carter are a couple of intriguing names. While L.A. would likely have a difficult time putting a deal together to land Markkanen, he certainly would be an impactful addition.

The 27-year-old has seen his career take off since he landed with the Jazz a couple of years back. Across two seasons with Utah, he has averaged 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 49.0 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from deep. In the 2022-23 season, he earned an All-Star nod as well as Most Improved Player honors.

Meanwhile, Carter, who may be a more realistic trade target for the Lakers, is another stretch big who would certainly get some fans excited.

In the 2023-24 season, he averaged 11.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from beyond the arc. The 25-year-old is also capable of taking on a slightly bigger role as a scorer, as he averaged at least 15 points per game in two straight seasons before this past one.

One NBA executive spoke about the idea of Carter landing with the Purple and Gold.

“Fairly young, probably a little undervalued because of his red flags (injuries) and still tapping into his skillset,” the executive told Heavy Sports. “The contract is right, it makes sense for them. That’s a guy they’re monitoring, but a lot of teams are.”

After taking a first-round exit in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Lakers would be wise to pump some life into their roster this offseason, and it appears that they’re at least weighing their options as the summer continues.