Los Angeles Lakers: 3 players that could be on the move for Carmelo Anthony

3. Moritz Wagner

Now, Moritz Wagner isn’t someone that is being shopped by the team. He was their first-round pick in 2018, so they are obviously high on him. However, he has yet to truly be given a shot this season as he is firmly behind JaVale McGee, Tyson Chandler and Ivica Zubac on the depth chart.

If Los Angeles is able to land a difference maker prior to the deadline, they are going to have to sweeten the deal if they want to avoid trading Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma or Josh Hart. One way could be adding Wagner into a deal.

With Zubac playing so well, Wagner is unlikely to break into the rotation. Even when the team was struggling with injuries up front, Wagner didn’t receive consistent minutes in the rotation. If the team is confident Zubac can be apart of their frontcourt rotation long-term, Wagner could be used as a sweetener in a bigger trade package.

The Lakers are in a win-now mode with James on the roster. They cannot afford to wait for Wagner to develop. They should not be shopping Wagner, but he is another valuable trade asset for the organization to negotiate with if other teams come calling.

Knowing there is a player such as Anthony readily available to fill the potential opening on the roster spot is good insurance as well.