Is It Already Time for Lakers to Panic-Chase a Third Star?
From one point of view, the Los Angeles Lakers (3-5) are off to a perfect start to the 2023-24 season. They're perfectly good at home (3-0) and perfectly awful on the road (0-5). After its surprising run to last season's Western Conference Finals, the franchise entered the year with high expectations.
So far, they have not been met. The Lakers resemble the squad that started 2-10 much more than the one that got past the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors in the postseason.
Is it already time to panic? Should the team start eyeballing talent on other rosters for a third star? Does the team need a different set of role players?
Who might the Lakers be able to lure when trade season unofficially starts in mid-December?
Limitations: Who Can and Can't Be Traded Now (or Later)
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Initially, the Lakers can't do much.
Nearly the entire roster is currently trade-restricted. The only players who can be moved immediately include LeBron James, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Max Christie, Maxwell Lewis and the three two-ways (Colin Castleton, Alex Fudge and D'Moi Hodge). The rest either signed new deals this offseason and can't be dealt until closer to the February 8 trade deadline. Jarred Vanderbilt cannot be traded at all on his multi-year extension.
While Davis' restriction lifts on February 6, don't expect the Lakers to put James or Davis on the trade block at any point. Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves cannot be moved until January 15. The rest are trade-restricted until December 15 (D'Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Christian Wood, Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes).
The Lakers are also hard-capped at the NBA's first apron ($172.3 million). Including incentives, the current roster totals $167.4 million—so whoever is the target, L.A. can't bring back more than $4.9 million in additional salary (including getting the roster back to at least 14 players, not including two-ways).
Regarding draft compensation, the Lakers already owe firsts to the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz, limiting Los Angeles to offering its 2029 or 2030 first (but not both because of the Stepien Rule). The Lakers can offer swap rights on any firsts it doesn't move and has up to four movable second-rounders.
To summarize, the Lakers must wait at least another five weeks for a feasible, substantial trade. They can't increase payroll significantly and don't have a ton of picks to offer.
Irving and James Reunited?
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The Lakers have been long linked to Kyrie Irving, dating back to his time with the Brooklyn Nets. He was eventually moved to the Dallas Mavericks via trade, re-signing this offseason on a three-year, $120 million contract (player option on the final season).
The Mavericks (6-2) are off to a better start than the Lakers. It's a leap to say they'd move Irving, but on the assumption that Dallas wants to go in a different direction—they may not find they have a market of precisely one team in the Lakers.
Once fractured, James' relationship with his former teammate is on much better terms. The challenge would be Irving's $39 million starting salary (including unlikely incentives, which count against the Lakers' hard cap).
LA probably needs to start with Russell ($18 million, including unlikely incentives) and Hachimura ($15.7 million). That's enough to match Irving's salary, but LA would end up about $350,000 over the hard cap with 13 players, one under the league minimum.
The Trade: Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris for D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Jalen Hood-Schifino. The Lakers wait until closer to the end of December to sign a 14th player at the vet min. Irving waives his trade bonus to get to the Lakers (otherwise, a deal becomes even more challenging). Dallas needs to open a roster spot to make the trade legal by waiving or trading (but not to the Lakers) a player currently on the roster.
DeRozan Comes Home to LA
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The Lakers were in pursuit of DeMar DeRozan that fateful summer of 2021 before pivoting to a Russell Westbrook trade. LA sacrificed depth for star power, and it took almost two seasons to unwind that mistake.
Instead, DeRozan joined the Chicago Bulls (via sign-and-trade from the San Antonio Spurs), where he's in the final year of his deal at $28.6 million. Do the Bulls (3-6) reinvest in the 34-year-old Compton native or send him home to Los Angeles?
DeRozan would give the Lakers another end-game scorer, but he's never been known for his outside shot and his best days as a defender are behind him. Potential fit aside, his age may make him gettable for L.A.
Additionally, the Lakers' backcourt defense hasn't been the same since parting with Alex Caruso. While Andre Drummond wasn't a great fit next to Davis in his brief stint in 2021, LA may still be short a big up front.
The Bulls didn't extend Patrick Williams this offseason and have a need that Hachimura may be able to fill. Russell is the necessary salary and a scorer to help replace what's lost with DeRozan. Hood-Schifino (No. 17) is a prospect on a cost-controlled rookie-scale contract.
Given the age of the Bulls' players (Drummond is 30; Caruso will be in February) and with Chicago getting two potential long-term pieces, LA doesn't include any draft compensation.
The Trade: DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso and Andre Drummond for D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Jalen Hood-Schifino.
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Zach LaVine Instead?
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Instead of DeRozan, would the Chicago Bulls want to reset entirely? Zach LaVine is arguably the team's top star, but he's almost 29, playing through knee issues and is owed $178.1 million over the next four years (the final season is a player option).
While he's shooting poorly this season from three-point range (roughly 32 percent), he's a steady, high-volume shooter on his career (20.5 points a game, 38.3 percent from deep). He doesn't help the Lakers defensively, but LaVine would take some of the scoring load off James and Davis.
At his price, $40 million for 2023-24, the Lakers wouldn't have as much flexibility under the hard cap as with DeRozan. And the cost would be higher, with the Lakers including its 2029 first-round pick (preferably with light protection).
The Trade: Zach LaVine, Torrey Craig and Terry Taylor for D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Taurean Prince Jalen Hood-Schifino and a lightly-protected 2029 first-rounder. LaVine waives his trade bonus to join the Lakers. LA waits until closer to the end of December to sign a 14th player at the vet min.
Note: Drummond could replace Craig, though the money is tight for the Lakers staying under the first apron.
Trae Young Gettable?
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The Atlanta Hawks (4-3) have started the season relatively well, but if the wheels fall off, the player they may choose to move on from is Trae Young. The franchise recently extended Dejounte Murray, who plays the same position.
Young is a polarizing player, capable of great heights, but is a defensive liability and isn't especially effective without the ball in his hands. That could work with James, Davis and complementary defenders—or it could be a mess.
He's also represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, the agent for James and Davis. The Lakers have a history of bringing in Klutch clients, and Young could try to follow in the footsteps of James Harden (who successfully forced his way to the LA Clippers). That's a big assumption, but Young's tenure in Atlanta has been on the watch list for some time.
Can the Lakers get him with just one first-round pick? It depends on how the market views his $178.1 million contract over four years (last season is a player option)—and that's assuming the Hawks are open to making Young available.
The Trade: Trae Young, Bruno Fernando and Wesley Matthews for D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Taurean Prince Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2029 first-rounder. Young waives his trade bonus to join the Lakers. LA waits until closer to the end of December to sign a 14th player at the vet min.
Note: While the Lakers could include other young players like Max Christie or Maxwell Lewis, the challenge is getting back to 14 players with hard cap restrictions. Additional moves or a multi-team trade could open avenues to compensate the Hawks if needed (including swapping draft picks).
Honorable Mention
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The names above represent the Lakers star hunting, for better or worse. An argument can easily be made: the team needs more time for health and for chemistry to develop. A reactionary move to thin depth for a star player better catapult the team into true contention beyond last year's Western Conference Finals run.
If Russell was a weak link in the playoffs, Hachimura played the best basketball of his career. Perhaps the Lakers don't expect Hachimura to duplicate that performance and would consolidate the two with Hood-Schifino (and possibly Christie, Lewis and draft compensation) as the means to get a third star.
Or maybe the answer is smaller moves around the edges, with one of Russell or Hachimura out and players the Lakers have previously pursued, like Buddy Hield or Bojan Bogdanović as designated shooters. They could make pitches for role-playing guards like Malcolm Brogdon or Tyus Jones—or just Caruso from the Bulls instead of DeRozan or LaVine.
Even if the Lakers were motivated to deal as soon as trade restrictions lift (Hachimura can't be dealt til mid-January), most teams hesitate until closer to the February 8 deadline.
If the Lakers continue to struggle, there may not be a short-term answer outside of getting healthy and figuring out how to get some wins on the road with the players already on the roster.
Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.
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