The Los Angeles Lakers came into the 2023-24 season with high hopes after adding to a roster that made the Western Conference Finals, but the team has underwhelmed a bit.
Los Angeles has had a handful of games where they look like title contenders, but they’ve also had instances of looking like a run-of-the-mill squad. The rollercoaster ride has been a frustrating experience for everyone involved, particularly for fans that are already clamoring for the Lakers to make a trade.
There have been a couple of players linked to Los Angeles in trades, most recently DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. With a couple of needs on the roster, DeRozan and Caruso make for worthwhile targets should the Lakers actually pull the trigger on a trade.
Dec. 15 is the first day certain players signed in free agency are eligible to be traded, but L.A. isn’t expected to make a move right away, via Jovan Buha of The Athletic:
“That said, don’t expect a move immediately after Dec. 15. The Lakers plan to take a patient approach to the trade market, team sources not authorized to speak publicly tell The Athletic, and would prefer to see what their group looks like whole before making a monumental roster decision. They’re still evaluating their needs and will continue to monitor the league, including potential fire sales in Toronto, Washington, Utah, Brooklyn and/or Charlotte that could make useful rotation players available.
“There’s always a chance they strike a move before the February deadline — similar to acquiring Hachimura a couple of weeks before last season’s — but a trade is far more likely to come later in the trading window than sooner.”
Injuries have prevented the Lakers from having a chance to evaluate their roster, so it makes sense that they’d like to see the roster healthy before deciding whether or not they need to upgrade. Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent have missed extensive time, while players like Rui Hachimura, Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes have been in and out of the lineup.
If the right deal comes along, the purple and gold should definitely explore it but there’s still a chance that the roster is good enough as is assuming they’re healthy.
LeBron James says Lakers won’t know what they are until healthy
LeBron James raised some eyebrows when he said that a lot needed to change for Los Angeles to win games. However, he also admitted that it’s hard to tell what the team has until everyone’s available.
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