NBA Pacific

It's no secret the Los Angeles Lakers have been in the trade market amid a disappointing start to the 2022-23 season. However, potential moves might not happen until later this month.

The Purple and Gold are weighing three different trade options for after Dec. 15, according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha. Those three options include trading Russell Westbrook and attaching draft picks to him in order to acquire a star or multiple players; packaging Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn with picks to bolster the roster; or a combination of the two deals.

Team sources told Buha that the Lakers are "leaning toward" the second or third option, which "would entail making a smaller move to marginally upgrade the roster while retaining the possibility of following up with a larger Westbrook deal later in the season."

While the Purple and Gold have won six of their last eight games, they still sit 13th in the Western Conference at 8-12.

Further, the team's roster isn't built to sustain success if some combination of LeBron James or Anthony Davis goes down with injury.

We saw those struggles last season, with James playing 56 games and Davis appearing in just 40 games. The Lakers finished 11th in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record.

While the Lakers missed the postseason, they weren't able to make significant upgrades entering this season because of the hefty salaries of James ($44.5 million), Davis ($38 million) and Westbrook ($47.1 million). Instead, general manager Rob Pelinka had to fill out his roster with average talent, including Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones, Lonnie Walker IV, Dennis Schröder and Thomas Bryant.

Still, the Lakers are continuing to evaluate their roster, and the team's upcoming six-game Eastern Conference road trip could be "a potential swing factor in how aggressively the front office dangles their first-round picks on the trade market," Buha wrote.

L.A. will face some tough opponents coming up, including the 15-5 Milwaukee Bucks, 14-8 Cleveland Cavaliers, 12-10 Philadelphia 76ers and the 18-4 Boston Celtics, though that game is set for Dec. 13 at Crypto.com Arena.

Westbrook has been mentioned as a trade candidate since last season. However, the veteran's performance last season coupled with his $47 million salary have made him a tough player to move.

To deal Westbrook, the Lakers almost surely will need to attach at least one of their 2027 or 2029 first-round draft picks, though it doesn't seem like they'll do that unless the return is significant enough.

The Los Angeles Lakers earned their sixth win in the past eight games with Wednesday's 128-109 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena.

LeBron James played one of his best games of the season. The 18-time All-Star dropped 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting with eight assists and seven rebounds in 33 minutes. It was the second time in three games he has surpassed the 30-point barrier.

👑. pic.twitter.com/YBGruRPT5U

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 1, 2022

While James dominating is nothing new, it was a good sign for the Lakers to see Austin Reaves continue his recent streak of strong play. He scored a season-high 22 points in 35 minutes after being inserted back into the starting lineup following a three-game stretch coming off the bench.

Saucetin Reaves 🍝 pic.twitter.com/sPEafCDXg7

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 1, 2022

LeBron James on Austin Reaves: "We trust him. He knows I trust him. And he goes on to play his game, and that's a beautiful thing to see, especially for a young player to see his growth from one year to the next."

— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) December 1, 2022

Reaves' performance caught the attention of NBA Twitter as the Lakers continue to play well:

The Lakers surged back from down 17-6 to go into the 2nd Q up 24-22. Austin Reaves (8 points) was the spark.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 1, 2022

Austin Reaves the last 3 weeks pic.twitter.com/KPs0Ujhqr0

— Calenta (@NBAPaint1) December 1, 2022

Give Austin Reaves the ball and get out of the way.

— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) December 1, 2022

Austin Reaves is one of the best role players in the nba and the lakers kinda lucked into him, especially after losing Caruso

— 🎗NBA•Fan🎗 (@Klutch_23) December 1, 2022

Austin Reaves for president

— GITANO ROYALE (@GitanoRoyale) December 1, 2022

Austin Reaves and Lebron James tonight. pic.twitter.com/2gKnOKIngQ

— LakersSpin (@LakersSpin) December 1, 2022

Austin Reaves is HIM.

— Austin Reaves 🐐 (@lakeshow4lyf) December 1, 2022

https://twitter.com/f40daniel/status/1598217809284456448

Undrafted out of Oklahoma last year, Reaves was given a shot by the Lakers when he signed a two-way contract in August 2021. The 24-year-old received extended playing time as a rookie, in part, because of all the injuries the team dealt with.

Reaves showed promise as a role player, averaging 7.3 points on 45.9 percent shooting. The 6'5" shooting guard has hit another level this season and has been one of the most pleasant surprises in the NBA.

After going a combined 0-of-4 from three-point range in two games last week, Reaves did fall under 40 percent shooting behind the arc. But he's still on the cusp of the 50/40/90 club with a 54.0 percent field-goal percentage, 39.7 three-point percentage and 90.9 field-goal percentage.

Head coach Darvin Ham has taken notice of Reaves' play by having him start seven of the past 11 games. He's averaging 31.3 minutes per game in 14 games since Nov. 2.

Reaves and the Lakers will be put to the test in their next game when they begin a six-game Eastern Conference road trip against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.

With the Dec. 15 deadline for teams to start making trades, the Los Angeles Lakers have opened up a roster spot by moving on from Matt Ryan.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Lakers will waive the 25-year-old small forward after he played in 12 games this season.

Ryan was shooting 37.1 percent from three-point range with 2.9 attempts per game.

Ryan was one of the feel-good stories coming out of the preseason. He signed with the Lakers on Sept. 26 after playing for the Boston Celtics in Summer League.

The Lakers gave Ryan the final spot on their roster before the start of the regular season. The 25-year-old shot 35.5 percent from three-point range and averaged 8.2 points in five preseason contests.

Ryan actually shot better from behind the arc during the regular season, albeit in limited playing time. He ranks third on the Lakers in three-point percentage (37.1), behind Max Christie (43.8) and Austin Reaves (39.7).

Christie is a 19-year-old rookie who has the potential to play himself into a bigger role. Reaves has already played himself into a significant role for head coach Darvin Ham. LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Lonnie Walker IV are averaging more minutes per game.

Ryan was only playing 10.8 minutes per game and a total of 14 minutes, 46 seconds since Nov. 9. He only scored three points during that span. The Chattanooga alum played for the Grand Rapids Gold, G League affiliate of the Denver Nuggets, for most of the 2021-22 season.

The Celtics signed Ryan to a two-way contract in February. He made his NBA debut on April 10 in Boston's 139-110 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Lakers have turned things around with six wins in their past eight games after a 2-10 start. They still have the third-worst record in the Western Conference, but general manager Rob Pelinka can at least be encouraged by this recent performance to consider making bold moves.

As Jae Crowder remains on the trade block, the Washington Wizards have reportedly emerged as a potential suitor for the Phoenix Suns' estranged forward.

"There's been some chatter about them looking at a guy like Jae Crowder," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast Wednesday (h/t RealGM). "I'm pretty confident there's been some discussions between the Wizards and the Suns. We've been talking about Jae Crowder now for about two months. It's obvious it's a hard trade to pull off. The Wizards have a bunch of guys who make decent salaries on their roster they can use in a trade."

Windhorst added that the Suns are seeking a power forward in any Crowder deal, and the Wizards are fairly loaded at the position with Kyle Kuzma, Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija on the roster.

It seems unlikely Kuzma will be moved, as he's thriving this season, averaging 20.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, though he's shooting just 31.3 percent from three. He and Avdija (7.6 PPG, 5.1 APG) have largely served as the team's starting pair at forward, with Hachimura (11.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG) coming off the bench.

Crowder, 32, would give the Suns an injection of experience and scrappy defense. The veteran forward averaged 9.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last year in Phoenix, shooting 34.8 percent from three, but had a falling out with the team over the offseason.

Per Windhorst, "Crowder was informed over the summer that he may lose his starting job this season, sources said, and it prompted him to request a trade."

Crowder, for his part, denied those reports:

My @NBAonTNT in-game report on my conversation with Suns forward Jae Crowder, who is away from the team and waiting on a trade: ‘It’s definitely not true of the narrative being pushed about me starting or not.’ pic.twitter.com/QL41N3Njub

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 26, 2022

The irony is that the player he lost his job to, Cam Johnson, is now likely out until some point in 2023 after requiring surgery on his right meniscus.

But Windhorst reported earlier in November that "despite Johnson's injury, there is no change to the situation with Crowder, and there are no current plans for him to return to the team, sources said."

It appeared as though the Suns were getting closer to a trade in mid-November, with multiple reports suggesting talks had progressed.

There have been some credible rumbles this week that the Suns have made progress on finding a trade resolution to the Jae Crowder saga. Crowder's cryptic IG story appears to address to feed into that notion ...

More NBA from me: https://t.co/A6ycVmnrjq https://t.co/Mghglx0fXP

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 17, 2022

Word is the Suns appeared close to finalizing a three-team trade involving Jae Crowder prior tip-off tonight against Golden State. https://t.co/VTRjU3HBRu

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) November 17, 2022

Nothing has happened as of yet, however, though the Wizards reportedly are taking a closer look.

Los Angeles Lakers fans had at least one thing to celebrate during the team's 116-115 defeat to the Indiana Pacers on Monday.

Jamie Murry pocketed $75,000 and drew an ovation from the Crypto.com Arena crowd when he drained a half-court shot. Lakers star Anthony Davis celebrated with Murry on the court.

Sink the @MGMRewards Big Shot Jackpot ✅
HIt the Griddy ✅
Celebrate with AD ✅ pic.twitter.com/kDqbSobdS2

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 29, 2022

Murry told ESPN's Dave McMenamin he plans to give most of his winnings to his mom and will save the rest:

Spoke to the $75,000 man, Jamie Murry, after he hit the big halfcourt shot at the Lakers game tonight. pic.twitter.com/G70MdhqgEK

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 29, 2022

If only Murry's heave had counted toward Los Angeles' offensive output. Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to hand the Lakers their 12th defeat of the season.

Darvin Ham accepted responsibility for the Los Angeles Lakers blowing a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter of the team's 116-115 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.

"That falls on me," Ham told reporters when discussing his team's lack of offensive organization. "That falls on me. I'll take responsibility for that."

Anthony Davis came to his coach's defense, saying the players needed to step up as the lead started slipping away.

"It's not just on him," Davis said. "It's on us too. I mean, we got enough years in the league for the guys that were on the floor late game to execute. Obviously, he's a coach, you take the blame. But it's on us players to go out there and execute."

The Lakers' offense became stagnant in the fourth quarter, often leaning heavily on Russell Westbrook with LeBron James hobbled by an ankle injury suffered in the opening period.

Westbrook led the squad with eight points in the fourth, but the rest of L.A.'s roster combined to make just five of their 16 shots (31.3 percent) in the final 12 minutes.

"We can't be in situations where we're throwing [Westbrook] the ball and everyone is standing and we're dribbling out the clock, dribbling out the clock," Ham said. "Now we're waiting on someone to go one-on-one versus the world. That's tough. That's a huge responsibility to have to score in those situations."

The loss dropped the Lakers to 7-12 and likely brought a halt to any momentum built up by winning five of their previous six games.

Every L.A. defeat leads to a renewed round of questions about how the team's front office is going to react to the sluggish start to the campaign.

General manager Rob Pelinka and Co. have so far resisted calls to make a significant roster-altering move, but each passing game further solidifies the fact the Lakers need another offensive threat capable of supporting James and Davis.

Los Angeles ranks last in three-pointers made per game (9.6) and 28th in three-point shooting percentage (32.0), numbers that make it tough to win in the modern NBA.

Being able to spread out defenses would not only provide more support for LeBron and AD, but it would also give more space for them to operate in half-court sets.

Yet there's been no sense the Lakers are aggressively working behind the scenes to get deals done. Instead, they may wait until closer to February's trade deadline before deciding how to move forward for the rest of the season.

For a team desperately seeking a spark, however, waiting a couple months doesn't seem like the best course of action if L.A. wants to turn things around in a significant way.

The Lakers are back in action Wednesday night when they host the Portland Trail Blazers.

Los Angeles Lakers fans are wondering whether it's time to shake up the roster's foundation after the team blew a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter en route to a 116-115 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.

The Lakers had shown signs of life in recent weeks, winning five of their past six games, but their meltdown against the Pacers renewed calls for change. That includes calls to trade LeBron James, which would likely signal a full-scale rebuild in L.A.

Here's a look at some Twitter reaction to Monday's loss, which dropped the team's record to 7-12:

Never in a million years I thought I’d be writing this @Lakers TRADE LEBRON!

— Acito (@AceFree_) November 29, 2022

I've been a die hard Lakers fan for all my life.. I've never seen any Laker STAR let their team lose from a 17 point lead in the 4th.. Time to TRADE LeBron already!

— Frank Zhen (@FrankZhen13) November 29, 2022

https://twitter.com/juicekan/status/1597536835965956096

final statement: lakers need to trade either Russ or LeBron. it’s time. either make LeBron point guard full-time, or keep Russ paired with AD. ever wonder why the “Big 3” never seem to have a good game as a unit? that should be enough proof.

— _ (@andres21vergara) November 29, 2022

Trade Lebron, they have played better when he’s been out or injured
Lebron still elite level player just bad fit with rest of team - GS? Port? Pho? Mia? NYK? Nets? Cavs?

— John Allen (@Snomankid9) November 29, 2022

https://twitter.com/TatumsGoated/status/1597483136749035520

https://twitter.com/shaqwhoelse/status/1597490240423624709

Trade lebron that man slows the lakers down

— Ozzy (@OzzyParlays) November 29, 2022

LeBron drops 10 points in 3 minutes, sprains his ankle and was clearly hobbled for the rest of the game leading to no lift on his jumpers.

The way "Lakers fans" are so quick to turn on the man that brought Anthony Davis and the Lakers their 17th championship is embarrassing.

— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) November 29, 2022

James recorded 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in 36 minutes. He made just eight of his 22 shots from the field, including three of his 10 shots from three-point range.

"Everything has to go wrong in order for you to lose a game like that, and everything went wrong," the four-time NBA MVP told reporters. "And you got to tip your hat to Indiana. They kept fighting. They kept pushing."

Anthony Davis added 25 points and 13 boards, while Russell Westbrook chipped in 24 points and six assists off the bench. Austin Reaves (13 points) was the only other player to reach double figures in scoring for the Lakers.

"That falls on me," L.A. head coach Darvin Ham said about the poor offense in the fourth quarter leading to a stunning loss. "That falls on me. I'll take responsibility for that."

Andrew Nembhard was the hero for Indiana, knocking down a three-pointer as time expired to improve the team's record to 12-8.

Andrew Nembhard hits the #TissotBuzzerBeater to win it for the @Pacers! #TimingEmotions pic.twitter.com/lFv43RTHxG

— NBA (@NBA) November 29, 2022

Tyrese Haliburton (24 points and 14 assists), Bennedict Mathurin (23 points) and Myles Turner (15 points and 13 rebounds) led the Pacers' attack to help set the stage for Nembhard's game-winner.

It's unlikely the Lakers will blow up the roster in the short term, especially in James' case, since he signed a two-year, $97 million contract extension in the offseason.

The continued lackluster results suggest some smaller moves are needed if the team is going to threaten for the playoffs this season, though.

Next up for L.A. as it looks to bounce back from the shocking loss is a visit from the Portland Trail Blazers (11-9) on Wednesday night.

The struggling Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly waiting for a certain date before they attempt to make upgrades to their roster via trade.

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Dec. 15 is the target date for the Lakers to begin talking trade since that is the first day NBA teams can trade away players who were signed in free agency during the offseason, giving the Lakers and other teams more flexibility.

Buha noted that the Lakers are evaluating their roster to decide whether they should make a small move or a larger move to address their deficiencies in terms of perimeter shooting and size.

The Lakers are also reportedly considering whether to part with one or both of their tradeable first-round draft picks in 2027 or 2029. Buha reported the team has been reluctant to trade both, but they could be persuaded with a move or moves that they believe make them a contender.

Currently, the Lakers are struggling to contend with a 7-12 record, which puts them 13th in the Western Conference. However, they are only two games out of the final spot in the postseason play-in tournament.

Coming off back-to-back wins over the San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers seemed poised to extend their winning streak to three on Monday night when they hosted the Indiana Pacers.

L.A. led by as much as 17 in the fourth quarter and dominated much of the game, but the Pacers chipped away at the deficit and shocked the Lakers when guard Andrew Nembhard hit a three as time expired to give Indiana a 116-115 win.

With the loss, the Lakers wasted a 25-point, 13-rebound, six-assist effort by Anthony Davis, as well as 21 points and seven rebounds from LeBron James.

While the Lakers had about a league-average effort from beyond the arc in the loss to Indiana, shooting 35.5 percent, one of the biggest culprits in L.A.'s struggles this season has been their poor shooting.

For the year, the Lakers are shooting just 32.0 percent from three-point range, placing them 28th among the league's 30 teams.

Max Christie is the Lakers' only player who shoots at least 40 percent from downtown (54.5 percent), but he has only attempted 11 trifectas.

After Christie, Austin Reaves shoots 39.6 percent, Matt Ryan shoots 38.2 percent and Lonnie Walker IV shoots 36.3 percent. Everyone else on the roster makes one-third of their threes or less.

That is not a recipe for success for a Lakers team that is meant to draw attention with James and Davis in order to create open shots for other players.

The Lakers need players who can hit those shots, particularly from three-point range, and it is safe to assume that many sharpshooters will be on their radar when it comes time to seriously consider trades.

One thing the Lakers must weigh, however, is if it would be worth parting with first-round picks when they may not be true contenders in the Western Conference even with some additions.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James believes the demands on youth basketball players have become far too high.

James told NBA insider Marc Stein "it’s too much" and that the constant stream of tournaments doesn't allow the players to have enough time to physically recover:

They go from playing all summer right into school league, all summer again right into school league, all summer right into school league for four years, and then they go off to college or go play wherever they go to play. If they are fortunate enough to get to the NBA, it’s a lot of basketball, lot of miles, they put on their bodies.

The 18-time All-Star can see the situation from two different perspectives.

He was a prodigious high school star at St. Vincent–St. Mary in Akron, Ohio, who garnered nationwide attention. That meant traversing the country to take the court for highly anticipated games.

Now, James has two sons, Bronny and Bryce, who are experiencing the youth basketball machine for themselves. He told Stein there are "way more" summer tournaments compared to when he was their age.

Stein reported James isn't alone, with some in NBA front offices growing concerned with the youth basketball structure. Players coming into the league might have been overtaxed and are more susceptible to injuries early in their pro careers.

ESPN's Baxter Holmes wrote a similar story in July 2019, speaking with one general manager who described the situation as "grave."

"It's very sad, where a kid has an NBA body, he's got NBA talent, he's got even an NBA mentality, but he doesn't have a body that can withstand the rigors of the training and the actual games, whether it's to get to the NBA or just to hold up," the GM said. "It's a tough deal."

Dr. Neeru Jayanthi, who works for Emory Healthcare and researches youth sports, also told Holmes how "kids are broken by the time they get to college" based on his experience.

That James is voicing his misgivings three years after Holmes' report perhaps shows how little has changed.

Despite sitting outside of the play-in picture at 7-11, the Los Angeles Lakers may not take a proactive approach to upgrading the roster right now.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Monday the Lakers "don't feel that sense of urgency" after winning five of their last six games. She added Los Angeles is "not necessarily motivated right now to go do something big unless something big presented itself to them."

.@ramonashelburne on the Lakers' sense of urgency to make a trade:

"They are not necessarily motivated right now to go do something big unless something big presented itself to them." pic.twitter.com/NKlbFC2hPd

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 28, 2022

A deliberate approach may not be what the players themselves want to see.

Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported Monday "here is belief shared by leaders in the Lakers' locker room, sources said, that the team is only a couple of players away from turning this group into a legitimate contender."

Perhaps L.A. has turned a corner and the general sense of optimism throughout the franchise is warranted. It's worth noting, however, the team's recent success hasn't come against an array of contenders.

The Lakers started the run with a 13-point win over the Brooklyn Nets, who promptly allowed 153 points in a defeat to the Sacramento Kings two days later. The other four wins came against the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, both of whom are rebuilding.

Beating losing teams is something Los Angeles should be doing and the results count all the same. But it might be a little premature to assume all is well in Southern California.

Whether general manager Rob Pelinka aggressively pursues trades or waits for opposing GMs to come to him, the same problem seemingly remains: The Lakers don't have many trade assets outside of their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks.

It's difficult to see a path for Pelinka that allows him to land an All-Star-caliber player. Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner, for example, would address a need but probably doesn't lift the team to the top of the Western Conference.

Perhaps that kind of addition isn't necessary if the last few weeks aren't a mirage.