Ranking Lakers' Top Trade Priorities Entering 2023

The Los Angeles Lakers might have enough to scratch and claw their way into the NBA play-in tournament. If everything breaks just right, they could even squeeze out a first-round cameo.

That's hardly the prize the Purple and Gold initially eyed for the 2022-23 season, and again, even that isn't guaranteed.

Should the Lakers dare to dream bigger, they need two things: a healthy Anthony Davis, and roster reinforcements arriving at the trade deadline. We're powerless to help with the former, but as for the latter, we can at least spotlight—and rank—three areas for the front office to shore up.

3. Point-of-Attack Defenders

Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images

ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 27: Patrick Beverly #21 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks to pass the ball during the game against the Orlando Magic on December 27, 2022 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)

If the Lakers are going to make any kind of run past the regular season, they have to improve their 21st-ranked defense, per NBA.com.

A healthy Davis would be a big boon, but it's not enough. L.A. needs more pests on the perimeter and players who can generally be trusted to not get roasted against the elites.

Only five teams allow more points per isolation possessions than the Lakers. That speaks to a general lack of serviceable stoppers. Patrick Beverley might be as pesky as it gets on this team's perimeter, but that only matters if he's playable. It's hard to label him as such when he's shouldering abysmal shooting rates from the field (38.3) and from range (31.1).

The trick, of course, is finding more than a defensive specialist, since those players can be game-planned off the floor in the playoffs. So, in a perfect world, this anonymous stopper would also offer some type of utility on the offensive end.

2. Frontcourt Depth

Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 23, 2022: Injured Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis whispers to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) on the bench during the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena on December 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Is it easy to look at this Davis-less frontcourt and notice the gargantuan void left in his absence? Absolutely.

That's a credit to how exceptional Davis was playing before suffering a stress injury in his right foot. However, it's also evidence of a flawed—and rather small—roster.

The Lakers have three players listed at 6'10" or taller: Davis, Thomas Bryant and Damian Jones. Davis is injured, Jones is out of the rotation and Bryant has the second-worst Defensive RAPTOR among the rotation regulars, per NBA.com.

L.A. needs more size, but it really needs more bigs it can trust. If the Lakers splurge on a center or power forward this trade season, it has to be someone they can reasonably expect to plug into a postseason rotation.

1. Shooting

David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

DALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 25: LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on December 25, 2022 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Remember when James called out this club's lack of shooting on opening night? To the surprise of no one, that problem hasn't magically solved itself.

This might not be a historically bad shooting team, but it's still one of the worst in the business.

Entering Wednesday night, the Lakers are 30th in made threes (10.4 per game), 28th in attempts (30.6) and 26th in accuracy (33.8 percent). Of the eight Lakers with 20-plus threes on the season, only Lonnie Walker IV and Austin Reaves are shooting 35-plus percent.

Those numbers are unforgivably low, given the glaring need to keep attack lanes as wide as possible for James, Davis and Russell Westbrook. If the Lakers do nothing else at the deadline, they have to give their offense more breathing room.