The Los Angeles Lakers now find themselves in between a rock and a hard place.
After a disappointing end to their season which saw them fall to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the legendary franchise may start the 2024-25 season without any significant free agent signings on the roster.
Despite the promising draft picks of Dalton Knecht and Bronny James and the hiring of JJ Redick as their new head coach, the Lakers failed to secure significant free agents this summer, including Klay Thompson, and Paul George.
Still, considering their numerous stars around the league who could possibly be on the move within the next few months and LeBron’s desire to win another championship, the Lakers could pull off a desperate last-minute trade ahead of the 2024-25 season to help their chances in a loaded Western Conference.
3. Zach Lavine
With the Chicago Bulls shifting towards rebuilding, the possibility of the franchise trading high-flying guard shooting guard Zach Lavine seems more likely than ever.
LaVine was traded to Chicago as part of the Jimmy Butler trade in 2018. In the Windy City, he emerged as an All-Star and one of the best perimeter scorers in the league. However, despite his rise in Chicago, the Bulls saw little postseason success during LaVine’s tenure.
Now entering the 2024-25 season, the Bulls have loaded up in the backcourt after trading for Josh Giddey, which opens up a possible trade to the Los Angeles Lakers for the dynamic guard. Although he will be returning from a significant injury that forced him to miss most of the 2023-24 season, Lavine is only 29 and could be a big-time player for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers will add a dynamic scorer in the backcourt who can play off both James and Davis and would be a massive upgrade over D’Angelo Russell, who has proven to be solid but not enough to get the Lakers over the hump.
2. Jerami Grant
The Lakers could look to the Pacific Northwest for their next star by negotiating a trade for Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant. The 6-foot-9 forward would fit in seamlessly with Davis and James as his skill set would allow them to flourish.
Based on his 40.2 3-point percentage from last season, he has shown to be a 3-D floor spacer, which would bode well for the Lakers and LeBron, who thrives in a pace-and-space offense. The Lakers would get another big-time scoring option, as he is shown to be a great slasher and shooter, which can cause nightmares for any team throughout the league.
Considering that the Lakers have plenty of assets to move in a potential trade, it would be hard to pass on the opportunity to get several younger players and get future assets in return for a Blazers team in the midst of a rebuild.
1. Brandon Ingram
Brandon Ingram is undoubtedly one of the hottest names that could be on the trade block.
The star wing is fresh off a season in which he helped the New Orlean Pelicans win 49 games last season while averaging 20.8 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.1 rebounds.However their season would in a disapointing fashion by the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He arrived in New Orleans in the trade that brought Anthony Davis to Los Angeles and was expected to be Zion Williamson’s co-star; however, his lack of fit with the former No. 1 overall pick may cause the Pelicans to look for a trade suitor, which may lead to a possible reunion with the Lakers.
The Lakers will be getting another versatile scorer on offense who has experience with experience playing next to James (and Redick as a teammate). He could be another guy the Lakers can throw the ball to in clutch situations, as he has shown throughout his career that he can get a bucker when it matters.
It may seem unlikely, as according to Brian Windhorst, Ingram is currently renegotiating his deal with the Pelicans and is looking for a contract extension worth up to $200 million. However, crazier things have happened in the NBA, and the Lakers could be desperate enough to pull off the trade in an attempt to go all-in.
