Decisions the Lakers Should Already Regret from the Trade Deadline
For a time, it appeared the Los Angeles Lakers were headed toward their second NBA trade deadline overhaul in as many seasons.
They wound up sitting out trade season instead, perhaps uninspired by what was available or unwilling to pay what it would have taken to significantly change their team.
Was an inactive deadline really the best thing for this bunch? No one will know for quite some time, but it's possible the front office might always regret the following three decisions.
Leaving the Wing Rotation Untouched
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The Lakers have shuffled and reshuffled their rotation this season. That's been due in part to some injury issues, but it may also stem from coach Darvin Ham's ongoing search for the right player to round out this frontcourt.
Obviously, L.A. has stars in two of the spots with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Finding the right complement for them has been a season-long process.
The Lakers have trotted out a slew of players at the 3 and 4 spots, including Cam Reddish, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Taurean Prince. None has provided exactly what James and Davis need alongside them.
Reddish and Vanderbilt have been sturdy on defense but limited on offense. Prince meets the very basic definition of a three-and-D role player, but he's not a standout in either area. Hachimura has perhaps come closest to best complementing the stars, but his defense can be up-and-down, and he's never shot the three with much volume.
This roster often forces coach Darvin Ham to choose between offense- or defense-heavy lineups. A two-way wing would've helped balance things out.
Failing to Improve the Floor Spacing
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There are 19 players averaging three-plus three-pointers this season, per Stathead Basketball. None of them are Lakers. There are 61 players averaging at least 2.2 long-range makes. L.A. has one of them.
There is very little volume with this three-point attack, in other words. No team attempts fewer threes and just three average fewer makes.
If the Lakers did nothing else at the deadline, cranking up the knob on their three-point volume felt like an obvious aim. They just don't have a sharpshooter who consistently pressures opposing defenses and demands constant attention. The value of having that kind of player either pulling attention away from James and Davis or punishing defenses for not bringing it could have been enormous.
The trade cost wouldn't have been colossal, either. Buddy Hield, one of the best quantity-plus-quality shooters in the entire Association, changed jerseys at the deadline, and it only cost the Philadelphia 76ers three second-round picks to get him.
Not Going for It
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The Lakers had their reasons for staying quiet at the deadline. The biggest was the potential to do something a lot louder this summer than anything they could've done now.
"We had one first-round draft pick was our only sort of hook to fish with," Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka told reporters. "And this summer in June, at the time of the draft, we'll have three first-round draft picks to look for deals, which I think will really unlock access to potentially a greater or bigger swing. And we didn't want to shoot a small bullet now that would only lead to very marginal improvement at the expense of making a much bigger and more impactful movement potentially in June and July."
The Lakers have their sights set on multiple stars. Per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, their potential targets for the offseason include Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young and Kyrie Irving.
Admittedly, those names are more exciting than anyone L.A. could have added at this deadline, but there is a real chance none will head to Hollywood. They may not even be available, and if they are, it's distinctly possible the Lakers won't cast the winning bid.
L.A. is betting big on optimism, but it feels like a club led by a 39-year-old, clock-watching James should've valued certainty and acted with more urgency instead.
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