Lakers Must Consider Klay Thompson Move Amid Naji Marshall, NBA Trade Deadline Rumors

If the Los Angeles Lakers hope to make a deep run this postseason, they may have to upgrade their roster. Unfortunately, the window to do so is rapidly closing, as the NBA's draft deadline will arrive at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday.

The Lakers missed out on a couple of reported targets when the Cleveland Cavaliers traded De'Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder.

According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, L.A. had discussed a deal for Hunter that would have involved Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht but ultimately decided that the price was too high:

"Although the Lakers did hold a level of interest in Hunter's skills as a 3-and-D wing, the idea of flipping Hachimura and Knecht for him without receiving any additional assets or draft compensation for the final year of Hunter's contract was viewed as a negative."

According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report and The Stein Line (h/t The Lakers Review), the Lakers also wanted Ellis.

So, where do Rob Pelinka and Co. go from here? Well, Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall would be an ideal target. L.A.'s need for a 3-and-D wing is clear, and Marshall's experience with Luka Dončić would be a bonus.

Would Marshall complement Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves well enough to make the Lakers title favorites? No, but giving L.A. any defensive boost would better the team's chances of actually outscoring playoff opponents.

Unfortunately, Marshall isn't a very realistic target for the Lakers, who are short on trade assets.

"However, it's The Athletic's understanding that the Mavericks are reluctant to part ways with Marshall, whose availability, competitiveness and slashing ability is greatly valued," Christian Clark of The Athletic recently wrote.

A high asking price should stop the Lakers from inquiring about Marshall, of course. And while they have Dallas on the phone, they should also consider making a play for three-point specialist Klay Thompson.

Thompson isn't an elite defender or even as consistent a defender as he was earlier in his career. However, the 35-year-old is still a pretty reliable range shooter, which is something the Lakers could use offensively.

It's also worth noting that Thomson was brought to Dallas in order to complement Dončić, specifically. While Thompson probably wouldn't be a long-term contributor in L.A., he'd be under contract next year and would fit the roster with or without James.

It also sounds as if Thompson would welcome a move to Los Angeles, where his father, Mychal Thompson, won a pair of championships with the Lakers.

"If Klay got bought out, I have it on good authority that the first call his agent would make would be to the Lakers. Because he would love to finish his career here," John Ireland said on ESPN Los Angeles' Mason & Ireland (h/t Sai Mohan of Heavy).

Landing Thompson as a post-buyout signing would be a best-case scenario for L.A., and the Lakers should see if they can swing a team-friendly trade before hoping he simply falls into their locker room. He is, reportedly, a player Dallas is willing to move.

"Thompson, brought in to complement Dončić and the injured Kyrie Irving, is a player the Mavericks will listen to offers about," Clark wrote.

Adding Thompson wouldn't be the sort of deadline blockbuster that would put the rest of the NBA on notice. However, it would improve the roster while giving L.A. a jump on building next year's lineup.