Rob Pelinka, JJ Redick, Lakers
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Lakers president Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick in a press conference.
The Los Angeles Lakers have had a highly productive offseason, adding Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia and Adou Thiero, while also re-signing Jaxson Hayes and inking franchise star Luka Doncic to a contract extension. However, the team is still relatively thin in the coveted 3-and-D wing spot, with Jarred Vanderbilt being injury-prone in recent years, and Rui Hachimura failing to deliver consistently on both offense and defense.
Several analysts have urged the Lakers to trade for Toronto Raptors’ Ochai Agbaji, who showed flashes of being an elite 3-and-D wing last season, as he shot 40% from deep (1.6 made threes) while locking up his matchups on the other end. The 25-year-old was a menace defensively, holding Jayson Tatum to 28.6% shooting, Tyler Herro to 35.3% and Tyrese Maxey to 37.5% as the primary defender on the trio of All-Stars.
Flashes of an Elite Defender
“As It Stands Lakers,” a YouTube channel covering the Purple and Gold, noted that the Raptors could be forced to part with Agbaji after acquiring and extending Brandon Ingram, on a roster that already includes wings Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett.
LakeShow Life’s Svyatoslav Rovenchuk also made a case for the Lakers to trade for Agbaji, a 25-year-old player with enormous upside.
“The third-year wing had the best shooting season of his career in 2024-25, averaging 10.4 points while connecting on 49.8 percent of his attempts and 39.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Lakers would love to have that kind of production,” he wrote.
“Agbaji’s athletic tools give him plenty of resources to be a strong defender in his NBA career. A strong presence on the perimeter would be more than desirable for JJ Redick’s team on that end.”
Potential Lakers Trade Package
Fadeaway World also urged the Rob Pelinka-led Lakers front office to target Agbaji, while proposing a hypothetical trade that could work for both teams.
Lakers would receive: Ochai Agbaji
Raptors would receive: Dalton Knecht, Jaxson Hayes
The writer argued that the proposed trade is a win for both teams, with the Raptors receiving a young sharpshooter in Knecht, who could fit in with their core.
“Agbaji’s greatest assets are his versatility and his athleticism. As an elite athlete, he blends his leaping ability and agility with constantly improving shooting and dribbling skills. While he isn’t an outright scoring threat in isolation situations, he has showcased the potential to develop this aspect of his game.
“…Additionally, with only one year left on his contract, the Purple and Gold would view this deal favorably as it allows them to keep cap space free for next summer. Overall, the Purple and Gold can benefit a lot from this deal.”
“…Meanwhile, the Raptors also stand to gain something meaningful. When considering their roster’s makeup, the addition of Dalton Knecht and Jaxson Hayes could be viewed positively.”
The Lakers are widely expected to start the season with Hachimura and LeBron James in the two forward spots, with Jake LaRavia and Vanderbilt backing them up. Smart has also shown the ability to play multiple positions, and could be tasked with guarding wings by Lakers head coach JJ Redick, much like he was during his time in Boston.