Despite the Los Angeles Lakers’ impressive 19-7 record so far this season, they aren’t without their holes, chief among them being a porous defense. The Lakers’ defensive woes were on full display in their bout against the Utah Jazz on Thursday (even though they came away with a win), as they allowed 78 points in the first half alone and 135 in total.
With trade season now coming into focus in the NBA and the Lakers’ struggles to prevent points this season apparent, some rival figures around the league apparently see Brooklyn Nets guard Terance Mann and Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green as potential fits for the Purple and Gold.
“Still, he seems like the kind of player the Lakers will consider this trade season — though they won’t be alone in their pursuit,” The Athletic’s Dan Woike wrote in reference to Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis.
“The Lakers had internal discussions about Andrew Wiggins earlier this summer and could revisit those if they decide to sacrifice cap space next summer to improve this season.
“Another player worth monitoring will be LA Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. He’s already shown how valuable he can be next to [Luka] Doncic when they played together on the Dallas Mavericks, and with the Clippers’ combination of losing and lack of draft assets, they’d have to listen to reasonable offers.
“Some other players rival scouts and executives mentioned as potential fits included the Brooklyn Nets’ Terrance Mann and the Charlotte Hornets’ Josh Green. If the Chicago Bulls decided to move off of guard Ayo Dosunmu, he’d fit the bill too — though the Bulls have held him in high esteem in the past and would probably seek a haul.
“The combination of the Lakers’ tradeable picks (one first and one second) and the league-wide lack of interest in the team’s recent draft picks puts the team in a bit of a bind.”
Mann and Green are similar players in some ways. For one, both are impactful defenders, which is something they’ve brought to contending teams before in their careers. Mann played for a Clippers team that reached the 2021 Western Conference Finals, while Green was a pest off the bench for a Mavericks team that came up just three wins short of the 2024 NBA title.
Not only that, but the two players share a knack for scoring the ball from behind the 3-point line. Mann is a career 37.1 percent 3-point shooter and has buried as many as 41.8 percent of his 3s in a season. As for Green, he’s hit 38.0 percent of his 3-point tries across 294 regular-season NBA games, including a career-high of 40.2 percent a few seasons ago.
They’re both under contract for the foreseeable future to boot, so the Lakers wouldn’t have to worry about having to hand either of them a lucrative extension anytime soon. Mann’s deal runs through the 2027-28 season, and Green’s runs through the 2026-27 season.
If the Lakers were to acquire Green or Mann, they would be saving one of them from a team that is destined to end up in the lottery. The Hornets and Nets are two of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference and aren’t on track to accomplish anything of real significance this season. Conversely, the Lakers are trying to win their 18th title in franchise history in 2026.