The Los Angeles Lakers are muddling in the middle of the Western Conference. There is a slew of teams bunched up, so while the Lakers sit in tenth, they are only 3.5 games out of the two seed. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are playing at all-star levels, but they need help. The rest of the roster has not been good enough this season, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Before the season began, analysts were expecting this team to make moves before the February 6th trade deadline. According to one report, the team is looking to add a big man and have their sights set on two players.
Los Angeles Lakers Trade Targets
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated went on Rich Eisen’s show on Thursday and revealed the Los Angeles Lakers are focusing on two players: Robert Williams of the Portland Trail Blazers and Jonas Valanciunas of the Washington Wizards. Frontcourt depth has been a problem for Los Angeles. They have very little rim protection and rebounding, leading to opponents being able to score easily. Both Portland and Washington are teams that will be selling at the deadline.
Williams has an injury history, but when he is on the court, he is highly productive. In eight games this year, he has averaged 9.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. He brings high-energy rebounding and defense that the Lakers desperately need. Valanciunas has been in and out of the starting lineup but has still averaged 12.0 points and 7.6 rebounds. Davis is the only true center on the team, and head coach JJ Redick is looking to give his superstar some backup.
So Many Holes
The issue for the Los Angeles Lakers is they have issues all around the roster. They definitely need a big man, but they also need some help in the backcourt. Max Christie hasn’t shown the type of improvement many expected. D’Angelo Russell is all over the place. He goes from being benched to scoring 30+ points on a game-to-game basis. The Lakers do have assets. Russell, Rui Hachimura, and a few first-round draft picks could be used to acquire a couple of pieces.
Will it be enough? The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t a team that needs minor changes. They need a huge overhaul. Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder are better right now and have more assets available for trade. All of this hinges on the health of James and Davis. If one of those players goes down, this team is toast even if they were to make all the right trades.
Final Thoughts
The next month will be interesting for the Los Angeles Lakers. They have been hot lately, which is helping give fans hope. However, if they start to trend the other way, things get more interesting. Already, rumors of LeBron getting traded have been floated. While James has denied these rumors, the Lakers may consider it if they are way out of the race. Whether they are on top of the conference or struggling, the Los Angeles Lakers never fail to entertain.
