No doubt, there has been ample talk about what, exactly, the Lakers will do in the coming weeks as the NBA careens toward the annual trade deadline, and proposed swaps no doubt have fans in Lakerland hopeful that something big will be afoot. Sure, Giannis Antetokounmpo would be welcomed, but so would a top-shelf role players like Herb Jones or Daniel Gafford.
But one of the realities that has been crystallizing about this team concerns the value of the outgoing assets that could be included in a trade. And it’s not much.
The Lakers can trade a first-round pick, but only one of them: their 2031 pick. Beyond that, the roster is mostly devoid of useful trade pieces, with former first-round pick Dalton Knecht failing to make much of an impact on the Lakers stat sheet. A package built around Knecht, an expiring salary and the 2031 pick is just not all that enticing.
Lakers Could Hope Answers Are on the Roster
With the opening of NBA trade business–the unofficial for which date comes on December 15–a look at the Lakers reveals a cupboard devoid of tradeable players.
“They want some defensive help,” one NBA GM said. “They need some defensive help. They’ve played well but they struggle keeping up with younger, quicker teams, and there are a bunch of those at the top of the West. They’ll have to give some time to Marcus Smart, get him healthy, get LeBron (James) healthy, and hope that their answers are already on the roster.
“But if it is a wing they go after, someone like Derrick Jones Jr., we’ll see what the Clippers do and when he can get healthy, but he’s a guy who could be realistic. Realistic for the Lakers is not, like, Giannis or Ja Morant. It’s a guy like Derrick Jones.”
Jones suffered a knee injury last month, but could return before the end of December, if not in early January.
NBA Trade Deadline Will Net Lakers a Role Player, at Best
It can be debated whether Jones–who is averaging 10.5 points on 53.3% shooting and 34.8% 3-point shooting–is enough of an upgrade for the Lakers in the stacked Western Conference. It can be debated, too, whether the Clippers will ultimately sell off pieces, and whether DJJ would be among them.
But it can’t be debated that a role player of Jones’ caliber is probably the best the Lakers could do to add to their current roster, given their assets on hand.
“A guy like that is their best case scenario,” the exec said.
Austin Reaves Only Chance for an NBA Trade Deadline Blockbuster
The one exception to the Lakers’ trade situation, though, is Austin Reaves.
Trading Reaves is the only real chance L.A. would have at pulling off a blockbuster. There’s no indication now that the Lakers will pursue that route, and it is probably too late if they did–Reaves can be a free agent this summer, and teams are reluctant to give up assets for a player they could simply sign in the offseason.
Plus, the Lakers are at least posturing as though they intend to keep Reaves, long-term. It could cost them a max deal worth $241 million, but as of now, it appears they’re willing to write that check.
That could change. We never would have thought Anthony Davis would be traded at this time last year, after all. But for now, expect the Lakers to be seeking out a deal for a minor role player, not a major star.
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