The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to hold onto their spot in the NBA playoffs without having to participate in the Play-In Tournament. There is still plenty of time left before the end of the season, but the Lakers are far from true contention — which is what LeBron James wanted.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
The Lakers have been having problems with Deandre Ayton. He appears to lack urgency with the team, and his usage has dropped drastically. Los Angeles has even been urged to trade Ayton if he picks up his player option.
“The 27-year-old has an $8.1 million player option he will probably pick up this summer, and when he does, Los Angeles needs to put an end to the Ayton experiment and try to find a trade,” Lake Show Life’s Jordanna Clark wrote.
The Lakers could instead trade for Yves Missi of the New Orleans Pelicans to better maximize Luka Doncic.
“All season long, Missi has floated in and out of New Orleans' center rotation, but when he does play, the advanced numbers love him. Missi is the only player on the Pelicans with a positive net rating, while also posting the second-highest offensive rating on the team. This happens to be the inverse of Ayton's impact for LA. The team's net rating is +6.0 points better when he is off the court, according to Databallr. If the Lakers are looking to maximize Doncic and move on from the Ayton experiment, they should look no further than Missi this summer,” Lake Show Life’s Chris Lambert wrote.
Acquiring Missi would be a big boost for the Lakers, as he brings a relentless motor and a willingness to play hard every time he steps on the floor. That’s exactly the type of player Los Angeles needs — someone who could thrive alongside Doncic and become a major presence in the paint.
For Ayton, the writing already seems to be on the wall as his minutes continue to decline. While he has provided energy from the bench, the on-court production simply hasn’t been there.