The Los Angeles Lakers are going to look for any kind of improvement that the team can make before the NBA trade deadline. As the trade and buyout market unfolds, we have to keep a keen eye on what Rob Pelinka could be doing as it could be the difference in winning the NBA title.
As constructed, a healthy Lakers team is still absolutely good enough to win the NBA Championship. However, the competition this season is more fierce than believed before the year and if the Lakers are not getting better then they are comparatively getting worse.
There are some big fish in the pond for the Lakers to flirt with as well. Andre Drummond is a buyout possibility and the Lakers are reportedly optimistic in their chances of signing him if he is bought out. P.J. Tucker has also been connected to the team and with several other players on the market, anything is possible.
There is just one problem.
The Los Angeles Lakers are not the only team looking to get better in the coming weeks.
Any team that believes it has a legitimate chance to win the NBA Championship is going to push hard for an improvement. Some fringe contenders and may not impact the Lakers that much, such as the Boston Celtics, who are in the opposite conference. Other fringe contenders, such as the Denver Nuggets, could absolutely end up hurting the Lakers’ title chances as they could face them in round 1 or 2.
The Lakers will always still have a great chance of winning the title with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, if any of the following three moves are made then the Lakers’ title chances will look bleaker.