Lakers Trade Rumors: Rival Teams 'Didn't Covet' D'Angelo Russell, Hachimura, Vincent

The Los Angeles Lakers had a relatively quiet trade deadline, which likely stemmed from the lack of interest in the team's role players.

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, "rival teams just didn't covet" D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent in discussions before the deadline.

Buha noted that Los Angeles would have needed to attach assets to move any of them, which included one of the Lakers' tradable first-round picks "more often than not."

Following a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2023, the Lakers have struggled to build off that momentum. After Thursday night's loss to the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles holds the No. 9 seed in the West with a record of 27-26.

Both Hachimura and Vincent have struggled to remain healthy after the Lakers handed both of them contracts in the 2023 offseason.

Hachimura has missed 14 games due to a series of ailments that include a concussion, a calf injury and a fractured nose. He's bounced back and forth between the starting lineup and the bench as a result, struggling with inconsistency despite shooting 49.2 percent from the field on the season.

Meanwhile, Vincent hasn't appeared in a game since Dec. 20 as he's been plagued by knee issues. He underwent arthroscopic surgery and is expected to return in "early March," according to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer.

Russell's name was involved in several rumors before the deadline, most notably in trade talks between the Lakers and Atlanta Hawks surrounding one-time All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray. However, Atlanta didn't seem interested in taking on the remainder of his contract, which includes a player option worth roughly $18.6 million for the 2024-25 season, per Spotrac.

With a lack of trade activity, it's fair to expect the Lakers to be active on the buyout market as the team attempts to make another deep postseason run led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.