Lakers Trade Targets with 2023 NBA Trade Deadline a Month Away
Before Anthony Davis went down with a stress injury in his right foot, he was playing at an MVP level.
Since Davis' injury, LeBron James has upped his output to a similar level to account for the loss of his co-star.
There might be a million and one question marks about the Los Angeles Lakers as a whole during this NBA season, but it sure looks like these two are capable of leading a charge deep into the playoffs.
Of course, that's only true if the front office strengthens this supporting cast between now and the trade deadline. Adding any of the three following hoopers would be a big step in that direction.
Bojan Bogdanvoić, Detroit Pistons
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The Lakers head into the heart of trade season with a bevy of trade needs.
Bogdanović, who clearly isn't part of the rebuilding Pistons' long-term plans, could scratch several of those itches.
He could check the support-scoring box, for one, as he's averaging better than 20 points for the second time in the last four seasons. The career 39.3 percent three-point shooter would also address this club's lack of spacing. Entering Wednesday night, the Lakers sit 29th in made threes (10.4 per tilt) and 26th in accuracy (33.8 percent).
He's a serviceable defender, intelligent player and willing passer, too, so finding his niche in areas other than his top strengths shouldn't be an issue.
Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls
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The Bulls, who haven't had floor general Lonzo Ball all season, are playing the same way they did after the point guard went down with a torn meniscus last season: as a sub-.500 squad with no shot of crashing into the championship picture.
If Chicago, which owes a top-four protected pick to the Orlando Magic, plunges into a rebuild, the Bulls could flood the trade market with legitimate difference-makers.
While several Bulls could wind up on the Lakers' radar, LaVine looms as the most intriguing option. He's an electric scorer (career 20 points per game) who can initiate offense or operate off the ball as a career 38.5 percent perimeter sharpshooter. That should ease the process of slotting him alongside James and Davis.
LaVine is also signed through at least the 2025-26 season (he holds a player option for 2026-27), so he could help this franchise for years to come. That's huge, because if the Lakers are going to sacrifice the two future first-round picks they're allowed to trade (2027 and 2029), they need much more than a partial-season rental.
Josh Richardson, San Antonio Spurs
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LaVine's trade cost could be colossal, and with the way Bogdanović is playing, he won't come cheap, either.
If the Lakers don't want to deplete their limited collection of trade assets, Richardson offers a lower-cost alternative.
The 29-year-old is only signed through this season's end and doesn't fit the timeline of a San Antonio team rebuilding around...well, probably whomever it plucks from the top of the 2023 draft. It would be in the Spurs' best interest to deal Richardson for some type of asset before the trade deadline rather than watch him leave for nothing this offseason.
Richardson has never approached stardom, but he has settled in as a pesky defender with a reliable outside shot (career 36.4 percent) and some secondary playmaking ability. He could give consistently helpful two-way contributions to a Lakers club that hasn't gotten nearly enough of them from its role players.
