At the midway point of the 2024-25 regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers sit at sixth place in the Western Conference. They have once again gotten exceptional seasons from LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but if they want to compete for a championship, it’s clear that more moves need to be made before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
James made that crystal clear after a recent loss to the L.A. Clippers when he said the Lakers have no room for error as currently constructed.
The team has already made one solid deal in acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith, but other needs remain if they want to make a serious run at a championship.
James and Davis know that to be true and they appear to be pushing the organization to use their tradeable first-round picks in 2029 and 2031 to improve the roster, per Shams Charania of ESPN:
But with the Feb. 6 trade deadline a little more than two weeks away, league sources told ESPN that James and Davis are growing concerned about the Lakers’ ability to make significant roster upgrades with their two tradeable first-rounders. James, a four-time champion, and Davis, a one-time champ, have expressed that they want the franchise to make moves to contend for a championship, with the co-stars believing the Lakers are potentially a piece or two away, sources said.
While the Lakers are willing to part with their valuable picks, it would have to be a deal that helps the organization for years to come:
The Lakers have done their due diligence in trade interest around the league, and are open to using their tradeable first-round picks for players who are a fit for this iteration of the Davis-James team as well as for several years to come under Redick, sources said.
The Lakers are known to be looking for a center and can probably use another ball-handler as well after parting with D’Angelo Russell. It remains to be seen if they can address both of those needs, but with James and Davis continuing to play at such a high level and the team currently occupying a playoff spot, the Lakers have shown the front office they are worth investing in.
Lakers unlikely to go all-in at trade deadline
The Lakers have two first-round picks they can trade if they want but recent reports indicate they are unlikely to trade both at the deadline.
A half-measure trade seems to be the Lakers’ preferred course of action so they can maintain flexibility in the future, although that may not be enough to give this team a chance to compete which is why LeBron James and Anthony Davis are pushing for more.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
