The Los Angeles Lakers are in a precarious position as the NBA trade deadline approaches. Only around two weeks remain until the Feb. 8 deadline comes and the Lakers have to make a decision as to what they want the rest of their season to look like. As it stands, they might have enough assets to land borderline stars like Dejounte Murray, but definitely don’t have the means to go star-chasing with the likes of Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young.
If the Lakers have been known for one thing during the Rob Pelinka era and even prior, it’s their ability to land the big stars. So as they look at their options for the trade deadline, it’s possible they view the types of moves they can make as half-measures. That could be true regardless of whether the Lakers have faith in their current roster to contend or not.
One option could be to push their chips to the offseason, when the Lakers become more asset-rich and could really make some type of splash, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
The Lakers currently have only one future first-round pick available to trade, but starting on the day of the NBA draft, they’ll have three: 2031, 2029 and either 2024 or 2025, depending on whether New Orleans chooses to use the 2024 pick it previously received from L.A. or defers it to the next draft.
The Lakers have discussed internally the possibility of packaging three picks, along with players they already have on their books, to pursue a bona fide star, such as Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers or Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks, team sources told ESPN.
This is not the first time the Lakers have shown interest in potentially landing Young from the Atlanta Hawks, especially as they sit in the midst of another middling season. They have yet to show a willingness to move the former No. 3 overall pick, but another Play-In Tournament or first-round exit could lead to some re-evaluation.
Mitchell may be an even harder get than Young, though. The Cleveland Cavaliers are once again near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, sitting at the No. 4 seed with a 26-15 record. However, if they were to lose in the first round to, say, the New York Knicks, maybe they decide that they don’t want to be deep in the tax for a team that can’t get over the hump.
Mitchell would also potentially be entering the final year of his contract, so the Cavaliers could look to move him if they’re not confident that he re-signs.
The Lakers are taking all options into consideration when it comes to the trade deadline. And star chasing in the offseason is one of those options, especially if they are confident that three future firsts and matching salary is enough ammunition to make a deal happen.
Lakers’ Darvin Ham credits D’Angelo Russell for staying professional
If the Lakers do make a move at the trade deadline as opposed to waiting until the offseason, no Laker is more likely to be involved in a deal than D’Angelo Russell. His name has been involved in nearly every rumor, and Lakers head coach Darvin Ham credited his professionalism in spite of that.
“First of all, he’s done a wonderful job being a pro about all of it,” Ham said. “There’s so much stuff that we can’t control. With that said, he’s just really locked in on his game, focused on ways he can help the team. Communicating, competing. Tonight was one of the most complete games I’ve seen him play since he’s been back in a Laker uniform. He was great on defense, great with his activity, great on and off the ball offensively. He was huge. It was a great way to respond.”
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