NBA rumors: Lakers change tune on trading 1st-round draft picks
Yesterday at 01:42 PM
The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to compete and win right now as LeBron James’ career winds down and the Lakers play out the final days of the James-Anthony Davis pairing. This season, the Lakers have shown the capabilities of a contender at times, but inconsistent play has made them a frustrating evaluation.
Overall, this is a team that is probably an addition or two away from competing with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder at the top of the Western Conference. The Lakers could use some more role player help, and they could be getting some as the trade deadline approaches according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
"My sources in that Lakers front office tell me… they're open to moving that [3 first-round picks] in a potential trade but they want a player or players that they feel can get into this iteration of this team now."
Shams Charania on First Take.pic.twitter.com/xxqJ3u89CU
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 26, 2024
“The Lakers are in somewhat of a different boat,” Charania said on First Take on Thursday morning. “They feel like they’ve got their top-heavy [team]. When you think about LeBron James, Anthony Davis, how do we round out this team around both of those guys? They’re monitoring the sellers around the NBA. … My sources in that Lakers front office tell me they are open to moving — they’ve got three first-round picks they can trade — they’re open to moving that in a potential trade. They want a player or players that they feel can get into this iteration of the team now with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but can also play for three, four, five more years under JJ Redick.”
The Lakers are coming off of a miraculous win on Christmas Day, when an Austin Reaves game-winner gave them a 115-113 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Potential Lakers trade targets
The Lakers may not be in the market for any of the potential stars on the trade market due to their current salary situation, but they may not need a huge splash addition in order to rise to the top of the Western Conference.
Some of the potential deadline sellers across the league could be willing to take some of the Lakers’ draft capital in exchange for some of their more useful veteran players, and the Lakers would be wise to take advantage of that.
One team that could be offloading players is the Utah Jazz. The Lakers could really use a rim protector on the interior to spell Anthony Davis, and Walker Kessler could be exactly that. Someone like Jordan Clarkson or Collin Sexton could also give the Lakers another offensive weapon that can come off the bench and give the team a spark.
A player like Jerami Grant on the wing could also be a great addition as a quality player on both ends of the court if the Portland Trail Blazers elect to move him during the season. He and Rui Hachimura are similar in some ways, but Hachimura has been one of the Lakers’ most reliable role players, so the addition of Grant would be welcome in Los Angeles.
The Brooklyn Nets also have a couple of quality wings in Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, and they have already shown the willingness to make deals when they traded Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors. Any of these options could change the Lakers’ fortunes in 2024-25.
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