3 all-stars the Lakers could end up trading for this season

2. Kristaps Porzingis

Again, Kristaps Porzingis might not seem like someone who the Lakers would want to trade for but it never seemed likely that they would want to trade for Russell Westbrook. The Lakers can certainly talk themselves into someone like Porzingis, especially if they are getting support from LeBron and Anthony Davis.

First, let’s touch on the path that would get the Wizards to trade for Westbrook in the first place. Even with Bradley Beal and Porzingis the Wizards are not in a place to be much better than a play-in team. With Victor Wembanyama looming, Washington may punt on the season halfway through.

Not many teams would want Porzingis in a trade but the Lakers are the exception. What makes this deal intriguing for the Lakers is the potential of only sending one first-round pick to Washington instead of two.

For the Wizards, they want to get worse anyway and they would be saving money next season by moving Porzingis. With those two benefits in mind, the Lakers could absolutely get the price down to one first-round pick for a return of Porzingis and an expiring contract, like Will Barton.

A Porzingis/Davis frontcourt would be extremely intriguing with the things they could do both offensively and defensively as long as both guys stay healthy. Porzingis might not be good enough to be the second-best player on a contending team but as the third-best player, there could be potential.