NBA Trade Rumors: 10 Deadline Deals the Lakers Could Make

With the Lakers fully embraced in tank mode and the team quickly falling apart, they are likely to be involved in the trade deadline, most obviously as sellers. A team sunken too far to recover, the Lakers have no reason NOT to abandon ship and deal away their best remaining talent to the highest bidder. With a summer of change on the horizon, many of the current Lakers won’t be back next year, meaning the Lakers have an opportunity to get something out of the impending free agents rather than nothing if they walk away during free agency.

The problem lies in the talent level of the Lakers. They don’t have many tradeable assets, hence their abysmal record. What the Lakers do have will only net them marginal gains. But as stated, something now is better than nothing in a few months. Pau Gasol will remain the team’s most valued asset, but also one of the most difficult to move considering his enormous contract. Other key role players who have outplayed their current worth are going to be sought after, but what could they realistically give in return?

Let’s crack open the ESPN NBA Trade Machine and find out. We’ll rate each trade with the likelihood of it happening as well.