Here are the five players that are most likely to be traded before the deadline since the Lakers are once again the subject of trade rumors.
The Lakers, with their lackluster record, players on team-friendly contracts, and ambition to contend for championship number 18, have been the subject of numerous trade rumors.
With Taurean Prince and Gabe Vincent out of the picture, they are at.500 and in quite good shape, but it appears they will need to move quickly to have a chance at winning the title in the West.
The Lakers will need to trade away important rotation players if they hope to pull off any of these deals, since they are allegedly in talks with the Atlanta Hawks for Dejounte Murray and have been linked to players like Tyus Jones and Bruce Brown Jr.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis will undoubtedly be on this roster, and the Lakers have made it plain that Austin Reaves is virtually untouchable. That leaves the Lakers with about a dozen players that they may still trade for.
Which ones, though, are most likely to be exchanged?
The players who are most likely to be traded before the deadline are listed here.
66.7% from the field, 54.5% from three – DLo was on point last night 🎯 pic.twitter.com/vfUkWh4kvn
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 22, 2024
It is difficult to imagine a situation in which he remains with the organization and the Lakers are obligated to pay his contract for the upcoming campaign. If he is, though, it will be because teams overpaid for Russell, and the value they received in return doesn’t equal his output as a starting point guard or improve the team.
This season, Rui has battled ailments and experienced several role changes. Although Davis may want Hachimura to “get back” to being himself, what if his best has already been experienced by the Lakers and he has regressed to his usual self?
Despite being unemployed and earning $15 million, Hachimura is still regarded as a valuable player in the league and may be included in a package deal for a guard improvement.
3. Jifino Hood Jalen Hood
Fans love the Baby Lakers, but Jalen Hood-Schifino hasn’t seen as much NBA action or affection on this team. That was always going to be the situation with a club that wants to be competitive and does not have the luxury of time to overlook the mistakes that an NBA rookie point guard frequently makes.
Hood-Schifino is on a rookie contract, so you won’t get a lot of money in exchange for him, but he’s an intriguing potential who might be enough to cap off a trade that convinces a team like the Nets to package Dorian Finney-Smith to the Lakers, for example.
4. Vincent Gabe
Count Gabe Vincent among the Miami Heat guys the Lakers shouldn’t have signed. Similar to Nunn, Vincent also experienced what was thought to be a minor injury that ultimately required surgery on his left knee, which he is currently recovering from.
He was unimpressive even when he did play, averaging just 5.4 points and making a pitiful 11% of three-pointers. Not the best choice for the player you brought along with your mid-level exemption.
Even if Vincent isn’t the most interesting player to sign, he is anticipated to make a comeback this season despite his history of injuries and poor health. If a team wants to sign him, the Lakers might be open to moving him if they think he’ll be healthy enough to play next season.
5. Hayes Jaxson
Jaxson Hayes, come on down! Speaking of players the Lakers should be willing to move!
This season, he was supposed to take on the position of JaVale McGee for the Lakers. All he needed to do was finish at the rim and show some energy, but he lacks McGee’s defensive prowess and is not very good at setting screens.
Christian Wood, who has performed far better than Hayes during his shifts, has recently taken away his playing time. Hayes may therefore be included in a trade even though many teams won’t want him, merely to allow the Lakers to clear his roster and add a contributor, as Damian Jones did in the Russell Westbrook trade last season.
In order to persuade a team to complete a deal, the Lakers may need to part with some draft assets, most likely a second-round choice, as Hayes also has a player option for the upcoming campaign.
Hayes is less likely to be dealt than the aforementioned Lakers because of that high asking price.
These five Lakers are the most likely to be traded, but there are still a lot of trade scenarios involving other Lakers that might occur in the time remaining before the deadline.
