Lakers Trade Predictions Ahead of Thursday's NBA Deadline
If the Los Angeles Lakers are going to elevate anywhere near NBA championship contention, the lift-off needs to start this week.
The trade deadline arrives at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, so the window to make impact additions is quickly closing.
The Lakers figure to be active this week, but what will that activity look like? We're breaking out the crystal ball to predict what will and won't happen in Laker Land at the deadline.
Austin Reaves Won't Be Traded but Will Be Discussed
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While the Lakers aren't flush with trade assets, their buying power could expand significantly if they make Austin Reaves available.
The 25-year-old may not be a star, but he is the kind of complementary player who can star in his role. He can operate on or off the ball, he contributes at both ends and when he really has it rolling, he can take over a game. He's also extremely cost-effective after inking a four-year, $53.8 million contract last summer, per Spotrac.
Of course, all of the things that make him attractive as a trade candidate are also arguments for the Lakers to keep him. They know he's a solid fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They may also reasonably feel Reaves' best basketball is still ahead of him, as this is only his third NBA season.
Teams will surely call about Reaves, and since he's their best option for substantially upgrading the roster, the Lakers won't immediately hang up. Sooner than later, though, they'll realize that the caliber of player it would take for them to part with Reaves simply isn't available in this trade market.
The Shooting Shortage Won't Be Fixed
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Perhaps the most confounding aspect of the Purple and Gold's roster is its lack of three-point shooting.
Davis is unstoppable around the rim, James is still a nightmare cover when barreling toward the basket and even Reaves does his best work inside the arc. You might assume, then, L.A. would be overloaded with spacers around them.
Obviously, that isn't the case. The Lakers are dead last in three-point attempts and 28th in made threes. The shortage is so severe that it can't be corrected by the deadline.
In fact, there's a chance L.A. comes out of trade season with even less shooting than it has. If the Lakers make a big deadline deal, and it costs them D'Angelo Russell, they'd lose their leader in triples (2.6 per outing) and perimeter splash rate (41.6). Russell may be an imperfect fit with L.A.'s stars, but the club needs to be careful about letting him go for the wrong return.
Lakers Land a Stopper
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If the Lakers hope to make a deep playoff run, they have to identify and develop a go-to strength. Constructing a dominant defense seems like the best option on the board.
That's partly due to the fact this offense is so short-handed that it's unlikely to see major improvement regardless of what the front office gets done before the deadline. Yet, it's also the end of the floor with Davis shines brightest, and an engaged James remains an asset there with his blend of size and smarts.
If L.A. is going to construct a stone wall, though, it needs to add at least another stopper or two. It wasn't loaded with impact defenders to begin with, and now all-purpose stopper Jarred Vanderbilt faces a lengthy absence with an injured foot.
The Lakers have placed "a greater emphasis on adding a defensive wing," per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, and that effort will materialize in a trade. They don't have enough trade chips to bring in Marcus Smart or Alex Caruso, but a next-tier option like Dorian Finney-Smith, Royce O'Neale or Bruce Brown should be doable.
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