With the clock ticking on LeBron James’ career, there is pressure on the Los Angeles Lakers front office to put a roster around him that is capable of competing for a championship.
Despite the praise they received in the offseason, it does not appear the Lakers were able to do that as they have hovered around .500 for a majority of the 2023-24 season.
With the Feb. 8 trade deadline approaching, the Lakers have one last opportunity to improve their roster in hopes of salvaging the season and getting back into championship contention.
As is normally the case around this time of year, the Lakers have been linked to a number of different players on the trade market, most notably Dejounte Murray of the Atlanta Hawks, even though talks seem to have recently cooled off.
There are a variety of different directions the Lakers can go at the deadline, whether it be a big trade, some small ones or standing pat. They have also already been linked to Kyle Lowry on the buyout market. With that being said, our staff discussed potential trades they would like to see happen in the latest Lakers Nation Roundtable.
Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA):
It’s that time of year again when the Lakers are constantly linked in trade rumors, whether they be massive deals for big-name players or smaller moves that might not even move the needle.
With the team not exactly blowing anyone away with what it has accomplished during the first half of the 2023-24 NBA regular season, it is no surprise that a deal before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 8 seems inevitable.
However, it’s uncertain whether anything the team does in the next week and a half or so will do anything to improve its chances of being a title contender in the Western Conference. Most of the names linked to the Lakers don’t seem substantial enough to change the team’s fate, but one-time All-Star guard Dejounte Murray is intriguing.
The proposed deal that seems to be floating around is D’Angelo Russell, rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino and the 2029 first-round draft pick in exchange for the Hawks guard. That’s not too bad, in my opinion, but it does sacrifice part of the future for a player who might not change much for Los Angeles.
That said, the team does have to go all in at this point with the uncertain future of LeBron James and no way of knowing where things will go after this season. James has a player option on his deal that he could easily opt out from and sign with the team that drafts his son Bronny James.
In my opinion, make the deal for Murray, and if it doesn’t work out, then at least the team gave it a shot. Russell is who he is at this point, even though he’s been red-hot as of late. Murray might be able to take it to another level and become that third star with consistency.
Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane):
In the event that a Dejounte Murray trade falls through, something else I’d be willing to do if I’m the Lakers is bring back our old friend Alex Caruso. His defense would be a welcome addition and fit great alongside either D’Angelo Russell or Austin Reaves, plus if they can bring back big-bodied center Andre Drummond as well that would kill two birds with one stone. It may not have the wow factor of a Murray trade but I think the impact on winning may be greater.
Here’s the deal: Alex Caruso & Andre Drummond for Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and the 2029 first lottery protected. The Bulls are rumored to want two firsts for Caruso; I’m giving them a bit less than that here with one first and JHS plus they are taking on an extra year of salary for Vincent.
If the Bulls were willing to take back Jaxson Hayes as well, thus dropping LA below the luxury tax on the season and re-set the repeater tax, I’d be willing to add a 2nd and drop the pick protections to top 10.
Matthew Peralta (@_Matthew Peralta):
Even with all the smoke regarding Dejounte Murray, it feels like the Lakers are going to go in a different direction at the NBA trade deadline. If Murray somehow stays put with the Hawks or gets dealt to another team, I would like to see the Lakers pivot to Bruce Brown.
Los Angeles is reportedly very interested in trading for Brown, which makes sense given their pursuit of him in free agency last year. The Toronto Raptors have signaled they’re looking to rebuild their roster around Scottie Barnes and Brown is an attractive piece for multiple playoff teams and playoff hopefuls.
I would be comfortable offering D’Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino and the 2029 first round pick (lottery protected) for Brown. I would also entertain a bigger deal that brings back Dennis Schroder. The Lakers would need to add someone like Gabe Vincent to make the math work, but if the Raptors are open to it then I would be willing to drop the protections on the pick down to something like top-7 protected.
Matthew Valento (@matthewvalento):
Lakers: Dejounte Murray
Hawks: Spencer Dinwiddie, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Trenton Watford, 2029 first-round pick (Top-3 protected), 2029 second-round pick (via BKN) and 2029 second-round pick (via DAL)
Nets: D’Angelo Russell, 2025 & 2030 second-round picks (via L.A.)
There has been a lot of smoke surrounding Dejounte Murray coming to the Lakers and he is simply a better two-way fit than D’Angelo Russell. Murray provides a skill set that is needed on a Lakers team that is filled with one-dimensional players.
The hurdle surrounding the Russell-Murray trade is finding a third team to facilitate this deal and I have the Brooklyn Nets, who are a rebuilding team.
Russell makes a reunion with the Nets to test the waters with a young team, adding a bit more scoring punch. Spencer Dinwiddie would be the expiring deal that the Hawks would be looking for and Jalen Hood-Schifino would enter a better situation as Atlanta may be entering a rebuild soon, accompanied by a valuable 2029 pick that could be valuable as it will be the post-LeBron era.
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