The top 10 NBA players who may realistically get traded to the Lakers, ranked
Maybe they're not trading for Zach LaVine. But who else could be available?
The Lakers had a recent resurgence, but still have a losing record this season. As of right now, they’re on the outside looking in on the playoffs.
Considering that they owe their first-round pick to the Pelicans in a swap, however, they do not have the option to bottom out and tank. Instead, with Anthony Davis playing some of the best basketball of his life, Los Angeles will likely pursue deals to improve their roster.
The NBA hot stove is starting to heat up fast. Many insiders believe that a trade is “imminent” for the Lakers, who reportedly believe they are only a couple of players away from turning this team into “legitimate contenders” this season.
It seems far more likely that Los Angeles pursues “smaller deals” involving mid-sized contracts like Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn rather than a bigger trade centered around Russell Westbrook and one or multiple future first-round picks.
That means that there could be multiple trades on the horizon, and based on what we know so far from all of the reporting, these are the most likely trade candidates for Los Angeles: