If you haven’t watched any Los Angeles Lakers basketball this season and just listened to pundits online or on TV, you’d think LA is one of the worst teams in the league. However, LA is far from it.
Sitting with a 22-11 record, the Lakers currently hold the sixth-best record in the league. It’s hard to believe, given their defensive struggles; nonetheless, the Lakers are among the top teams in the league, record-wise. While that is the case, there is no secret that the Lakers need to make a big trade or two to bolster their roster.
The Lakers desperately need a shakeup to their roster if they want to seriously compete with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets, to name a few. The expectation is that the Lakers will make a trade, but what kind of player will they target?
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Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report urges and predicts the Lakers will add a defensive stopper before next month’s trade deadline.
“The Los Angeles Lakers have been a borderline disaster on defense this season, and they edge closer to that line when all three of Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and LeBron James are on the floor.
“The most obvious way to address the problem might be a Reaves blockbuster that brings back an All-Defense-caliber wing or guard, but that feels too drastic and shortsighted.
“As tough as it may be to defend with both on the floor, the Reaves-Luka combo could be one of the league’s most dynamic one-two offensive punches for years to come. An outside shot at a title now isn’t worth compromising several shots down the line.
“Still, it feels like the Lakers need to do something to slow down opponents, even if it’s a deal for a less heralded defensive stopper.”
The Lakers’ top needs are undoubtedly a wing defender and a shooter. LA has a lot of other holes on their roster, but those are certainly at the top of the priority list.
As far as the defensive side of the ball goes, LA has been linked to players like Pelicans wing Herb Jones, Heat wing Andrew Wiggins, Kings guard Keon Ellis, and Hornets guard Josh Green. Wing defense has been abysmal for the Lakers, and if they want any shot at making a deep playoff run, a player of that archetype is what they should pursue.
If a player that LA loves and they believe can move the needle for them becomes available, the expectation is that Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka will pull the trigger on that trade.
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