The annual NBA trade deadline is less than three weeks away, and talks have begun to pick up for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are looking to make a playoff run.
The 2023-24 season looks a lot like last year where there were more buyers than sellers, and this season there have already been multiple impactful deals. The Toronto Raptors appear to be all-in on rebuilding around Scottie Barnes after they traded away OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam to the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks seem primed to make at least one move given their record and their salary cap situation. Dejounte Murray appears to be the most likely name to be moved and the Lakers have emerged as a potential suitor.
According toJovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers will be making some sort of move and Max Christie could play a part in negotiations, although their preference is to keep the second-year guard:
“Max Christie is a sneakily interesting asset. Smart teams view him as an underrated 3-and-D wing prospect. He’s still not even 21 years old. But the Lakers would prefer to keep Christie.”
Christie has been a valuable role player as of late for Los Angeles as he’s done a great job of spotting up beyond the arc and attacking closeouts when available. At 20 years old, Christie has some untapped upside that opposing teams are likely interested in.
With the Lakers short of tradeable first-round picks, players like Christie are even more valuable to them and as of right now they seem content with allowing him to develop over the course of the regular season. However, if the right player were to become available, then the Lakers shouldn’t hesitate to the young guard.
Outside of Murray, the purple and gold have been linked to numerous players before the deadline that fit some sort of need on the roster. Murray’s a popular target because of his scoring, playmaking and defensive upside, though the Lakers could opt to make a smaller move to round out the bench.
‘Zero percent chance’ Lakers trade for Zach LaVine at NBA trade deadline
Another player heavily linked to Los Angeles is Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine. The Bulls and LaVine have reportedly agreed to seek a trade for the former All-Star, but so far his market is quiet.
LaVine would solve a lot of the Lakers’ offensive woes, though at this moment it appears that there is a zero percent chance they trade for him at the deadline.
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