Feeling Around NBA Is That Lakers Will Indeed Make A Move

December 17, 2024

It’s been another uneven start for the Los Angeles Lakers and you know what that means. You guessed it — NBA trade rumor central.

Some are real, some are ridiculous. But the bottom line, per Lakers insider Jovan Buha of The Athletic, is that the “assumption around the league” is LA is determined to make a trade.

And you can’t blame them. At 14-12, the Lakers sit in 10th place in the Western Conference standings. That means they’re on track to have to work their way into the NBA playoffs via the play-in tournament … again.

At the same time, they’re just three games out of third place. So adding another piece next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis could move the needle quickly. That is, if the actual trade moves the needle. And good luck with that, as the Lakers have repeatedly discovered.

But again, they seem destined to do something, anything, before the Feb. 6 deadline. We think. After all, GM Rob Pelinka sees the same thing the rest of the world sees when LA takes the court. He knows there are needs.

That doesn’t always mean a trade, though.

“It’s worth noting that many expected the Lakers to make a move last season ahead of the trade deadline, and they stood pat,” Buha wrote.

Buha added that the Lakers’ priorities remain the same as they were last season:

A tough, physical, defensive-minded center.
A big 3-and-D wing to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
A big, athletic guard with point-of-attack defensive chops.

And just like last season, it’s going to be tricky to fill all three holes — especially without parting with both their 2029 and 2031 first-round picks.

The hottest name that’s been tied to the Lakers, dating back to the summer, is Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas ($9.9 million salary). He brings the toughness and physicality that the Lakers crave, a true banger in the paint who could pair with Davis in the frontcourt.

But let’s be real: Valanciunas isn’t a defensive game-changer. His lack of mobility on that end has made him a target in the past — and the Lakers exploited that during last season’s high-stakes games against the Wizards.

Still, he’s been effective offensively, averaging 12.0 points and 7.6 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per game this season.

It’s no wonder James was reportedly willing to take a pay cut for him in the offseason. The Lakers have long been in the market for reliable center help to support Davis.

Over in Brooklyn, the Nets are shopping key pieces as they look to retool for the future. Cameron Johnson ($22.5 million salary) and Dorian Finney-Smith ($14.9 million) are two wings who could fit the bill for the Lakers’ desire for a 3-and-D guy.

The Lakers have had their eyes on Finney-Smith for years, and Johnson’s cap hit might scare some teams, but he’s a versatile scorer who could be valuable in LA’s rotation.

Of course, the Lakers may wait until late January or early February to make a move, giving themselves time to evaluate their roster and see if players like Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood can fill some gaps, Buha wrote.

Time is ticking, and it’ll be fascinating to see which move the Lakers decide to make — if they can make any at all.