Lakers' Biggest Needs at 2024 NBA Trade Deadline
The Los Angeles Lakers have split their first 38 games of the 2023-24 NBA season.
That's not exactly championship-level play from a team that's running out of time to make another title run with 39-year-old LeBron James.
This front office has just less than a month to trade this team into championship shape, though. The Lakers have a few assets to shop around between now and the Feb. 8 trade deadline. They also have some obvious needs, and we're here to dissect three of the biggest.
Shooting
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The Lakers remain inexplicably light on three-point lasers.
A team with dominant downhill attackers like James and Anthony Davis should have overloaded the supporting cast with outside shooters. That setup would stretch opposing defenses out and allow these stars to paint-point them into oblivion.
Instead, this is somehow a bottom-third performer by both three-point volume (10.8 makes per outing, 29th) and efficiency (35.5 three-point percentage, 25th). James, who's never counted three-point splashing as the strongest weapon in his arsenal, paces the Purple and Gold in three-pointers (2.2 per game) and three-point percentage (39.7).
L.A. has to find a way to open things up. Having players the caliber of James and Davis and still sitting 23rd in offensive efficiency is unforgivable, per NBA.com.
Shot-Creation
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When the Lakers need a bucket, they typically task James or Davis with finding it.
What happens when those options aren't available? Well, usually nothing great.
Austin Reaves has regressed as a three-point shooter (33.7 percent) and failed to make the leap so many in Laker Land were hoping to see. D'Angelo Russell runs hot and cold with his shot- and decision-making, and his offense hasn't been good enough to live with his defensive warts. Christian Wood has struggled to find major minutes or post his typical shooting rates. Rui Hachimura has had trouble staying on the hardwood or getting into any kind of rhythm when he's out there.
L.A. needs a third option who really puts some fear into the opposition. If the Lakers were waiting for someone to emerge as that player, it's time to ditch that dream and explore external options.
Two-Way Perimeter Players
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Coach Darvin Ham has trotted out 10 different starting lineups so far. While injuries have played a part in this revolving door, so too has the fact that there really isn't a perfect quintet to be called upon.
The issues exist on the perimeter, where Ham often finds himself choosing between offense and defense. Ideally, he'd have players capable of providing both at his disposal, but that just isn't the case for this club.
Russell and Reaves can get buckets, but they can give up just as many at the defensive end. Cam Reddish and Jarred Vanderbilt are shape-shifting stoppers, but neither is an offensive threat—nor a 40-percent field-goal shooter—so their mere presence spoils the spacing.
Granted, there are tons of team shopping for two-way wings, and many of them can likely top the Lakers' best trade offer. Still, this front office should be firing off as many phone calls, text messages, emails and DMs in search of one, because few (if any) player archetypes could level up this roster more.
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