With only hours until the trade deadline, the Lakers are searching around for improvements.
With just a few hours left before the deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers are still among the major participants in the trade market. Being a LeBron James-led team usually has enormous expectations, and the Lakers have not lived up to them thus far. In an effort to strengthen the team’s core and pull off a turnaround for the second straight season, the Lakers are predicted to be among the trade front-runners.
The Lakers are now connected to almost every player on the trade market, with Bruce Brown and Dejounte Murray being the most logical targets for the Purple and Gold. However, it appears that the Lakers will be aiming to reach an agreement with the Brooklyn Nets that enhances the club’s depth rather than building a team around a third star to complement James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers are allegedly focusing on Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie because they provide the “most intrigue” to the LA brass, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. However, it appears like the Lakers are keeping an open mind on Royce O’Neale as well.
Fischer also mentioned that there’s a potential the Lakers would bring back 2023 postseason cult favorite Lonnie Walker IV, who gave a performance of a lifetime in Game 4 of the second round against the Golden State Warriors—a feat that fans would not soon forget.
It’s unclear what the Lakers can provide the Nets in exchange for the aforementioned players that doesn’t need them to completely empty their roster. With a total cap charge of about $44 million for Finney-Smith, Dinwiddie, and O’Neale, any potential deal would have to include three of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and Gabe Vincent.
Naturally, their curiosity over those three does not imply that they will obtain them all. The Lakers could have trouble closing a deal for even one of those players, much less three, given the Nets’ exorbitant trade demands.
However, the Lakers are still in the running to make the most of LeBron James’ final years as a top player, so don’t expect them to stick with the same squad until the trade deadline.