Which Possible Trade Would Help Lakers Most amid Latest NBA Rumors?
The Los Angeles Lakers are 2-9 entering Friday's home matchup against the Sacramento Kings. That's not where the team expected to be early in the 2022-23 NBA season, and it's definitely not where it wanted to be.
If the Lakers are going to get back on track, they may need to make a trade or two to improve their roster. If they eventually decide this season may not be worth trying to salvage, then maybe they could swing a deal to acquire draft capital.
Either way, there's a good chance Los Angeles will be active between now and the trade deadline on Feb. 9. So, it makes sense that there have been a ton of rumors regarding the Lakers' potential moves early in the season.
Los Angeles doesn't have much draft capital in the way of first-round picks, as it has only two of those selections the rest of the decade (2027 and 2029). And that's reportedly been causing some hesitancy from the team heading into negotiations, per B/R's Chris Haynes.
"With the team’s trajectory trending south, sources indicate the front office is unlikely to attach those picks to a potential trade out of concern that such a transaction would not significantly change the course of the season," Haynes wrote.
LeBron James sees it a bit differently. The 37-year-old "does not want to waste a season of his high-level playing days in hopes of incoming reinforcements for the 2023-24 campaign," according to Haynes, who reported that other core Lakers players are feeling the same way.
So, if Los Angeles tries to improve and win now, who might it target?
Two popular names in rumors have been Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, as it's been expected that the Indiana Pacers could be a trade partner for the Lakers for a potential Russell Westbrook deal. But that may not materialize anytime soon.
"It is not universally believed internally that a trade for Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner and sharpshooter Buddy Hield would move the needle to title contention," Haynes wrote.
A player who could do that, though, is Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal. That is, if he would be willing to waive his full no-trade clause to come to Los Angeles.
Haynes reported that the 29-year-old is a player the Lakers are "known to covet." And for good reason. He's a three-time All-Star who has put up big scoring totals when healthy over his 11-year NBA career, all of which has been spent in Washington.
Should Beal be interested in coming to the Lakers, that is the best possible trade the team could make. He still has plenty of productive years ahead of him, and he would immediately make Los Angeles better.
It would likely come at a high cost, so the Lakers would have to be OK with that. But he's more of a difference-maker than the duo of Turner and Hield would likely be.
So, if Los Angeles insists on staying in win-now mode and changes its mind about trading its draft picks in the process, Beal is the best target. He's not only a great scorer, but he also would give the Lakers a boost on the perimeter, which has been a weak area of late.
If Los Angeles wants to keep its draft picks and make a move with an eye toward the future, though, it shouldn't pursue either of these rumored deals. Instead, it may want to look for lower-salary players and draft picks that could help it build moving forward.
