Lakers' Complete 2022 NBA Trade Deadline Preview, Predictions
On the surface, the Los Angeles Lakers appear as if they should be among the NBA's most active teams between now and the Feb. 10 trade deadline.
They came into the campaign as favorites to make it out of the Western Conference. But they have passed the midway point with a sub-.500 record, and if the season ended today, they would have to settle for a ticket to the play-in tournament.
A disappointment of this magnitude often leads to a hyper-active trade season. Considering the Lakers' best player is the 37-year-old LeBron James, they are also facing a frantically ticking clock.
Yet their top-heavy roster might restrict them to making moves around the margins since they probably don't have the trade chips to broker anything bigger.
We'll dig into that and more in this comprehensive guide to the Lakers' trade deadline before making a prediction for how they will proceed.
Assets
Like we mentioned on the intro, it's pretty grim for the Purple and Gold.
Assuming they wouldn't explore an Anthony Davis deal—they shouldn't—then their top asset (by a healthy margin) is a first-round pick in 2027 or 2028. On one hand, that pick will presumably come from the LeBron-less Lakers, so it might land in a good spot. On the other, it's so far into the future that any front office that acquires it might not be around to use it.
Beyond that, though, there isn't much to see.
Talen Horton-Tucker has some appeal tied to his age (21) and theoretical upside, but he has backtracked in a big way during the first season of his new three-year, $30.8 million deal. Kendrick Nunn could be on the chopping block, too, so that L.A. can use his $5 million salary to make the money work, but he has yet to suit up this season because of a knee injury and holds a $5.3 million player option for next season.
Needs
Is everything too broad of an answer here? That's only half of a joke (at most) by the way. This roster isn't in a good place.
Getting more specific, a two-way forward would probably be ideal. The injury bug keeps cozying up to James, Carmelo Anthony only contributes at one end of the court and the Lakers can't rely on Trevor Ariza. Their point-of-attack defense took several big blows this summer when they parted with Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma.
Beyond that, more shooting and shot creation in general would be helpful. James is tasked with a frightening amount of responsibility given how much NBA mileage he has logged, and the benefits of better breathing room on offense would be substantial for him and Russell Westbrook.
On the shooting front, a stretch center would be an interesting way to pursue better spacing. In a perfect world, the Lakers would find a big who can shoot and protect the paint, but given their budget constraints, a shooting specialist might be the most they can afford.
Prediction
If you're hoping to see a Westbrook blockbuster here, sorry to disappoint.
But you get it, right? He's as close to untradeable as it gets in this league. Even a sequel to the Westbrook-for-John Wall trade doesn't make much sense, since the Lakers would likely lose a draft pick for someone who might not fit any better and the Houston Rockets would have a ball-dominant guard taking touches away from their young, developing guards.
It's possible that the Lakers sit out trade season and hope for the best on the buyout market. It wouldn't be for a lacking of trying, of course, but there aren't many established sellers, and the ones that are selling could probably find better offers elsewhere.
If L.A. makes a move, three names come to mind: Eric Gordon, Terrence Ross and Robert Covington. They seem like the high end of what the Lakers might be able to afford, as each man has a reason to come at a discount: Gordon for his age and remaining contract, Ross for his shooting woes (40.8/31.7/87.3) and inconsistent defense and Covington for his impending free agency.