The 2026 NBA trade deadline is just around the corner and it has become clear that the Los Angeles Lakers need to make moves to upgrade their roster if they want to compete for a championship.
The Lakers are known to be looking for a 3-and-D wing, which isn’t an easy task given their lack of assets and the demand for those types of players across the league.
Rob Pelinka currently only has one tradable first-round pick to work with in either 2031 or 2032. Because of that, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo! Sports NBA reports the Lakers are looking to turn that first-round pick into multiple to give them more options in trades along with players like Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and Maxi Kleber:
“Here’s what I’m hearing about the Lakers. With the Lakers, the word on the street is they’re trying to package Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent together for a wing. Now, the really interesting thing with them is, they’ve been shopping around their future 2032 first-round pick for multiple first-round draft picks. Similar to what the Suns did a year ago when they traded their 2031 pick to the Jazz for three lesser firsts in ’25, ’27 and ’29. So it seems like the Lakers are looking for two or three firsts that are worse individually than their future first, giving them more parts to put together in like Vincent plus Vanderbilt, or Vincent plus Kleber types of packages. The Lakers are definitely looking for a wing, I think they definitely have interest in Herb Jones, probably too pricey, Trey Murphy, Kuminga maybe. Maybe the Warriors as a third team, maybe we’re gonna see a situation where Kuminga gets sent to the Lakers for filler plus a pick, then the Warriors send that pick plus other assets to go get a PJ (Washington) or Trey Murphy or something like that. But that’s my understanding right now of what the Lakers are angling to do with their future picks and with the guys on the existing roster.”
If the Lakers were to turn their 2032 first-round pick into two or three lesser picks, then that may open up the potential to trade multiple picks at the deadline this year as opposed to just one. For example, if the Lakers traded their 2032 pick and acquired picks in 2027 and 2029, then they would gain access to trading their own 2026, 2028 and 2030 first-round picks.
That could allow the Lakers to take a bigger swing for a player like Jones or Murphy, or they could also use their expiring contracts to make multiple smaller deals.
Regardless, it seems that the Lakers will be active in the coming weeks and Pelinka could look to get creative to upgrade the roster.
JJ Redick says poor 3-point shooting has been theme for Lakers
There are many different areas a trade can potentially help the Lakers with and perhaps the biggest is outside shooting. And head coach JJ Redick made note that the Lakers’ shooting struggles has become a theme for the team this season.
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