Lakers: The only 2 players worth trading Talen Horton-Tucker for

1. Christian Wood

Christian Wood is a name to monitor during the NBA trade deadline. If the Rockets were smart, they would trade Wood now as his trade value is not going to be any higher than it currently is. Sure, they have won a few games recently but that does not change their status as one of the worst teams in the league.

Wood is under contract for one more season after the 2021-22 season and if the Rockets wait until the offseason to potentially move him then he is just going to be a one-year commitment, which will warrant fewer returns.

Any contending team trading for him right now would essentially get two playoff runs with him on the roster, which is undoubtedly going to increase his trade value.

That would be the biggest hurdle in the Los Angeles Lakers potentially trading for Wood. While his numbers are a bit inflated because he is on a bad team, Wood has a lot of value as a rotational role player on a contending team. It would not be that surprising if another contending team came over the top in a Wood deal.

THT certainly has enough potential to convince the Rockets to trade Wood to the Lakers, so long that the Lakers throw in a draft pick or two as well. It probably is not the best possible offer for Wood but if there is not more on the market it is not a bad offer, either.

Wood would be a solid addition to the Lakers that would really help the team’s floor-spacing issues without sacrificing too much size. A frontcourt with LeBron James, Wood and Anthony Davis would be very intriguing to watch.