Lakers Trade Rumors: Hottest Reports Surrounding Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Lakers already served up the biggest stunner of NBA trade season.
That doesn't mean they're done dealing.
They might still have moves to make ahead of Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline. The recent swap of Anthony Davis for Luka Dončić gave this group a centerpiece to build around for the post-LeBron James era, but it also left this roster lacking in the frontcourt and on the perimeter defensively.
Will that motivate the Lakers to get more deals done? Let's check what the rumor mill is saying.
Lakers Looking Toward Future?
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The Luka Dončić-LeBron James will immediately rank among the league's most talented twosomes. That does not, however, mean the franchise made this trade with that in mind.
Rather, L.A. seemingly seized an opportunity that comes along, at most, once in a lifetime. In the process, the Lakers unequivocally brightened their future but perhaps dimmed their present. Dončić and James are an awkward on-court fit, the center rotation is wholly underwhelming and the perimeter defense might be nonexistent.
The Lakers could, of course, attack some of those issues between now and the deadline, but they are reportedly "focused...on building for the future even more so than they are for the present," per The Athletic's Sam Vecenie.
It's the right strategy to employ, even if seems a bit counterintuitive with the 40-year-old James still holding such a prominent place within the organization. The Lakers can poke around for short-term upgrades, but additional wholesale changes shouldn't be made until this offseason at the earliest.
Nikola Vučević on the Wish List?
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The Lakers have a center-sized hole on the interior. The Chicago Bulls seemingly have a readily available big man in need of a new home.
Could this be a matchup? It's too early to tell.
The Lakers are reportedly in the running for Bulls big man Nikola Vučević, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. Vučević, who turned 34 in October, is putting together one of the most productive seasons of his career. He's not only netting the third-most points per game of his career (19.7), he's doing so while posting personal-best shooting rates from the field (54.8) and from three (40.1).
He'd definitely qualify as a need-filler, although his addition wouldn't alleviate any of the defensive concerns. It's unclear, though, if the Lakers are willing to pay whatever the Bulls are asking. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported Tuesday that the Bulls had two different deals for Vučević "fall apart," and while specifics of those potential swaps weren't mentioned, it wouldn't be surprising if the Lakers were involved given their reported interest.
Cody Martin Getting a Look?
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For all of the attention paid to the Purple and Gold's interior needs, there maybe hasn't been enough said about the pressing concerns with this perimeter defense. That was an obvious area to upgrade even before the Dončić deal, which cost the Lakers Max Christie, one of their most effective perimeter stoppers.
Might the Charlotte Hornets have someone who could help?
Well, the Lakers are reportedly among the teams to show interest in Hornets swingman Cody Martin, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. The 29-year-old Martin is an energetic, versatile defender, though he's never found the shooting touch needed to qualify as a three-and-D wing (career 31.9 percent from deep).
Still, the defensive need is significant enough that the Lakers could be willing to overlook Martin's offensive limitations to bring him onboard—at the proverbial right price, of course.
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