With the trade deadline just under a month away, we’re taking the next few weeks to break down trade targets at every position for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Over the past few weeks, we have been talking about the uncertainty that lies in the Lakers’ backcourt. Is D’Angelo Russell better suited as the primary ball handler or is he more effective playing off the ball? The easy answer to that question is “uh, why can’t he be good at both?” but for the sake of trade scenarios, we argued one over the other.
This week, however, we’re going to with the assumption that the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Brandon Ingram, is the Lakers’ small forward of the future. That’s about the closest you’ll get to a sure thing on this roster.
Despite a handful rough games recently–I mean, really rough games–Ingram has shown enough in spurts this season for fans to be excited about their new franchise player. Earlier this season, Ingram nearly became the youngest player ever to record a triple-double. The youngest? LeBron James of course.
With that being said, the Lakers could still use a little help on the wing to support Ingram. Yes, they just signed Luol Deng to a monster four-year, $72 million deal, but there is always a chance he gets moved at the deadline. A slim chance, but a chance nonetheless.
Unlike our last two articles, these trades would be to bolster the Lakers already productive bench. None of these players are necessarily franchise changing players, but they could help even out the roster and add wing depth to a team that desperately needs it.
Here are a few names the Lakers should consider at the deadline at the small forward position.