Who Lakers Must Trade for to Give Luka, LeBron Shot at Title Contention amid NBA Rumors
NBA trade season is fully open, and things aren't off to an ideal start for the Los Angeles Lakers.
They, like many teams, could stand to add a three-and-D wing between now and Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, and they just watched to come off the board—in the same swap, in fact. Oft-cited Lakers' targets De'Andre Hunter and Keon Ellis just switched locker rooms in a recent three-team trade involving the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls.
While it's not necessarily back-to-the-drawing-board time for the Lakers, since it's unclear where Hunter and Ellis ranked on their wish list, there's less supply to fill their perimeter demand. And that's especially true if the New Orleans Pelicans really aren't dealing Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones.
Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times recently listed four players as "names that have been attached to the Lakers as potential trade targets." Since the list included Hunter and Ellis, though, it's already been halved. Turner also mentioned the Pelicans' wings having an "asking price...so high that teams are waiting to see if that comes down by the deadline."
That only leaves two players from Turner's list still up for grabs: Naji Marshall and Donte DiVincenzo. While the latter boasts a deep bag of offensive tricks, he couldn't scratch L.A.'s itch for "big wing players," which Turner aptly noted is a deadline desire for "most of the league."
DiVincenzo is a 6'4" combo guard. He's also a nightly starter for the fifth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, so it's safe to assume his trade cost would be significant.
Marshall, meanwhile, passes the big-wing eye test as a 6'6", 220-pounder. He's also the stingier player of these two, which should matter a lot for the Lakers, as their 25th-ranked defense, per NBA.com, could serve as a fatal flaw if not addressed before the postseason.
Marshall also has a working history with Luka Dončić, as the two teamed together for much of last season before the latter's blockbuster move to L.A. Despite spending less than a full season together, they clearly built a bond, as Marshall told reporters he misses Dončić "dearly" and called him "my brother."
For anyone still on the fence in this DiVincenzo vs. Marshall debate, this should be the clincher: Marshall should actually be available. While Minnesota could theoretically move DiVincenzo, he's probably only relocating in a major trade that has the Timberwolves pushing for more.
Marshall, meanwhile, figures to be awaiting his ticket away from the 11th-seeded, perhaps lottery-focused Dallas Mavericks. He has valuable on-court traits—defensive versatility, reliable two-point scoring and a pinch of playmaking—but those things are more valuable to a win-now team.
The Lakers should be operating with that exact mindset. Locking up Dončić for the next three years gives them a longer runway, but he's still in the heart of his prime with his 27th birthday approaching later this month.
L.A. should be locked-in on getting him a contending-level supporting cast, and Marshall can serve as a piece of that puzzle. If a (probably protected) future first, Dalton Knecht and salary-filler is enough for the Mavericks to bite, the win-win potential is easy to spot here.
It's not a marquee move, obviously, but the Lakers hopefully don't need one. Between Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, they should be set on star power. The collective offensive brilliance of that trio should be more than enough to work around Marshall's limitations on that end (namely, a career 30.3 three-point percentage), too.
If the Lakers have a contending-caliber core of hoops heavyweights, then they should be on the hunt for finishing pieces. There are a lot of reasons to think Marshall would be ideal for that kind of role.
