It’s approaching trade season in the NBA, and as always, the Los Angeles Lakers are being named in rumors.
L.A. could use some help after an iffy 13-11 start to the season, and according to a report, there’s a belief that the Lakers would love to add both a point guard and a big man. Doing so, however, could prove to be a challenge.
“The Lakers remain armed with D’Angelo Russell’s $18.6 million expiring contract, plus several more minimum players on expiring deals, as well as their 2029 and 2031 first-round picks, but it’s going to be difficult for one trade to fix the myriad issues with the current roster,” wrote ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “That’s led to a belief among rival scouts and executives that the Lakers would love to find both a point guard and a big man to fill out their roster — though adding both, with the team’s limited assets, won’t be easy.”
This report is similar to a recent one from NBA insider Jake Fischer, who indicated that the Lakers are looking to fortify their frontcourt and add perimeter defense.
L.A. has struggled in recent weeks, going 3-7 over its last 10 games to fall in the Western Conference standings. It’s been a disappointing stretch for a squad that held a 10-4 record through 14 games and looked like a rising contender.
Now, the Lakers may need to bring in some outside help to address some of the flaws they’ve shown this season. The trade deadline is set for Feb. 6, giving L.A. and the rest of the NBA a little under two months to get deals done.
While the Purple and Gold are used to being named in rumors leading up to the deadline, that doesn’t always mean that they’re going to make a trade. Some years, the deadline comes and goes without the Lakers doing a whole lot.
However, in the 2022-23 season, L.A. took some swings before the deadline, and the moves paid off. The Lakers made a run to the 2023 Western Conference Finals with their new-look roster, eventually bowing out to the Denver Nuggets in four games but showing some solid fight before being eliminated.
If it were always that easy to simply make some deals and go on a deep playoff run, every team in the NBA would do it, but that isn’t always the case. As such, L.A. will have to weigh its options this season and try to find some deals that make sense before the deadline passes.
