The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a disappointing start to the 2023-24 season. They are relying too heavily on LeBron James, but the team has been awful without him on the floor. Injuries have played a factor in them overusing role players and making their defense non-existent. The Lakers need to get healthy, but fans should not be surprised to see them make moves before the deadline.
D’Angelo Russell will be on the trade block, and summer signing Gabe Vincent could join him. The 27-year-old is dealing with a knee injury and has struggled when on the floor. He earned a three-year $33 million deal this summer by helping the Heat reach the NBA Final. In his first four games with the Lakers, he shot 39.3 percent from the field and made one of his 14 3-point tries.
Who could Los Angeles target if they decide to move on from Vincent? The Lakers need shooting and defense but could gamble on a third star. Here are ten options Rob Pelinka and the front office should explore.
10. Buddy Hield
The Lakers almost acquired Buddy Hield (subscription required) in the 2021 offseason before landing Russell Westbrook. Ever since there have been rumors about the sharpshooter coming to LA. Hield is in the final year of his contract and could be on the trade block before the deadline.
The Lakers are in the bottom five in 3-pointers made, attempted, and percentage. Hield ranks in the top 20 in threes made per game and is a career 40.2 percent from long range. He won’t help the Lakers’ defense, but his ability to flat-out shoot would be impactful.
Gabe Vincent got hot during the playoffs but is a career 33.5 percent 3-point shooter, who averages 4.0 assists per 36-minutes. Hield offers significantly more floor space and sits 3.1 dimes per-36.
Vincent is a better defender, but the Los Angeles Lakers may opt for the floor spacing and offensive firepower. They would have to trade someone with Gabe Vincent, which could easily be done.
9. Royce O’Neale
O’Neale was in trade rumors this summer, but no deal materialized. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported the Nets wanted a first-round pick or the equivalent in return, which is a fair price to pay for a starting 3-and-D wing.
The Lakers have just their 2029 first-round pick to offer in trades. They could protect it, but giving it up for a non-star is a gamble. Does O’Neale improve their title odds enough to make the juice worth the squeeze?
He has shown improved playmaking since arriving in Brooklyn. The 6’4 wing is a career 38.3 percent 3-point shooter who can guard multiple positions and rebound well. He would fit fantastically on the Lakers. O’Neale can defend on the perimeter and mask Austin Reaves weaknesses but does not need the ball. The 30-year-old should be in his prime and is comfortable spotting up and sinking open shots.
If the Lakers decide to add a 3-and-D wing, Royce O’Neale will be among the best available. His $9.5 million expiring contract gives Los Angeles flexibility moving forward and the 6’4 wing could be the missing piece in the franchise making a deep playoff run in 2024. If the Lakers want a 3-and-D wing with multiple years left on his deal, they could look at a different Net.
8. Dorian Finney-Smith
The Nets have a glut of wings when everyone is healthy. They have not been to start the season, but Finney-Smith is playing arguably the best basketball of his career. Through eight games, Doe-Doe averaged 13.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 32.9 minutes each night. He is shooting 45.0 percent from 3-point range and just keeps getting better.
The 6’7 forward helped the Mavericks reach the conference finals in 2022. He can guard all five positions and is comfortable spotting up in the corner and knocking down open looks. Finney-Smith entered the league as a non-shooter, but worked his way into a plus option. Since the bubble, he has made 38.1 percent of his 1,135 3-point tries.
Dorian Finney-Smith is a fantastic locker room presence to go with his unique skill set. Every team in the league would love to have him, and the Nets reportedly want two first-round picks in return. The Lakers cannot offer that, but their first in 2029 has lottery potential and could intrigue Brooklyn.
Doe-Doe has a player option in 2025, so Los Angeles would have him on their books for next season. His shooting and defense would make a massive impact on the Lakers but does not vault them into favorites in the Western Conference. LA is unlikely to part with their 2029 first unless it significantly bumps their title odds, but stranger things have happened.
7. Bojan Bogdanovic
Bogdanovic suffered a calf injury that has prevented him from playing so far this season. The Pistons hope he can return in the coming weeks, but the 6’7 wing should be back before the trade deadline. Detroit has won just two of their first nine games and are likely to be back in the draft lottery.
Bogdanovic is making $20 million this season and has a $19.0 million salary for the 2024-25 campaign, but just $2 million is guaranteed. The 34-year-old must prove he is healthy for the Lakers to have interest in putting together a package to acquire him headlined by Gabe Vincent. The franchise could keep him on the books or explore their options in the summer, depending on how things shake out.
Bojan Bogdanovic can help cover the Lakers’ two biggest holes. He is a career 39.4 percent 3-point shooter who can net 18 points per game and defend multiple positions. Bogey could take some of the workload off LeBron and improves the Lakers title odds.
Trading a first-round draft pick for a 34-year-old forward is always a gamble, but the Los Angeles Lakers should be all-in on winning another championship. LeBron James turns 39 in December and only has a brief window left as one of the best players in the world. Now is the time, and Bogdanovic improves their odds.
6. Malcolm Brogdon
The Blazers acquired the reigning Sixth Man of the Year from the Celtics in the Jrue Holiday trade, and there have already been rumblings about him being moved. The veteran is serving as a mentor and sixth man in Portland but will draw interest from contenders before the deadline.
The Trail Blazers may be motivated to make a deal quickly after Robert Williams suffered a season-ending knee injury, but trade talks usually don’t pick up until closer to the deadline.
Brogdon has a lengthy injury history too. He has played more than 56 regular season games in just three of his first seven NBA campaigns. The Lakers would have to take that into account when acquiring him.
The 6’5 guard is a career 38.7 percent 3-point shooter who handles the ball, makes plays, and rebounds well. He would take some of the offensive load off LeBron and Austin Reaves. Brogdon would also give the Lakers an option to run their second unit and let King James rest. There would be defensive questions, but it is not like Brogdon is a total zero on that end of the floor.
Malcolm Brogdon is under contract for $22.5 million next season, and the Lakers would be getting one of the league’s best sixth men. If they do not have the best package for Brogdon, LA could look to acquire a familiar face.
5. Dennis Schroder
Schroder departed Los Angeles for the Raptors in free agency. Toronto lost Fred VanVleet and signed the German point guard to a two-year deal worth $25.4 million to be his replacement.
The 30-year-old has been outstanding in the first eight games, but the Raptors are at a crossroads. They missed the playoffs in 2023 and have three key players headed toward free agency next summer. Toronto needs to choose a direction and fast.
If the Raptors blow it up, Schroder will likely be moved to a contender. He has proven he can win in Los Angeles and is comfortable playing off LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers could use his speed and playmaking to round out their roster even if he is not the perfect fit.
Dennis Schroder is a streaky shooter and far from a lockdown defender. He will compete hard and provide a spark. It has been a small sample size for Gabe Vincent, but Schroder looks like a better fit in Los Angeles, and the Lakers may be able to reacquire him on the cheap if the Raptors decide to rebuild.
Toronto could push for the playoffs, but other rebuilding squads will have veterans available. The Lakers could take a swing at another recently signed talent on a hefty contract.
4. Jerami Grant
The Blazers re-signed Grant to a five-year $160 million contract in free agency in hopes of keeping Damian Lillard in Portland. The superstar requested a trade before the ink was dry on Grant’s deal. Now, Dame is in Milwaukee and Grant is leading the rebuilding Blazers.
The 6’8 forward averaged 22.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 block per game through his first eight this season. He can play multiple different roles and should draw interest from contenders before the deadline.
Grant has averaged over 19 points per game for four straight years, is a career 35.8 percent 3-point shooter, and can guard several positions. His versatility and well-rounded game make him a fit on any roster.
The Lakers would have to package Gabe Vincent with D’Angelo Russell or Rui Hachimura to land Grant’s contract. The current Blazer played 35.7 minutes per game last season and turns 30 in March. He should be in his prime and ready to handle whatever role the Lakers throw his way.
Jerami Grant may not solve their perimeter defensive issues. The Los Angeles Lakers’ closing lineup would become LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, and Grant with one of Hachimura, D-Lo, or Jarred Vanderbilt. Is there enough shooting and who guards the opposition’s top playmaker? The Lakers may opt for a perimeter stopper instead.
3. Alex Caruso
Could the Lakers bring back Caruso to solve their perimeter defensive issues? He got his first NBA chance in Los Angeles and quickly became a fan favorite. The 6’4 guard played outstanding next to LeBron James and helped the Lakers win the championship inside the bubble.
He left in 2021 after the Bulls offered him a four-year $36.9 million contract that Los Angeles was unwilling to match. Caruso improved in Chicago and made first-team All-Defense in 2023.
The 29-year-old would fill a massive hole in the backcourt. He is a stout defender who switches onto multiple positions. Caruso has made 36.8 percent from 3-point range for his career and can be used as a secondary creator. The Bulls missed the playoffs in 2023 and could be facing a total rebuild by the deadline. If so, Alex Caruso will be available.
He would be an upgrade over Gabe Vincent. The Lakers must monitor his minutes closely, but Caruso could be the 3-and-D wing plus that Los Angeles needs to make a deep playoff run. It would give them the freedom to trade D’Angelo Russell and let LeBron, AD, and Reaves cook when the games matter most.
The Bulls avoided a rebuild this summer, but things could go south quickly. If they decide to tear things down, Caruso will not be the only talent available.
2. DeMar DeRozan
DeRozan wanted to join the Lakers when he was a free agent in 2021 and the five-time All-Star even thought it was a done deal before the franchise traded for Russell Westbrook. Getting Russ eliminated the room for DeRozan, so the 6’6 forward accepted a three-year $81.9 million deal he received from the Bulls in a sign-and-trade.
All he has done since is make two more All-Star appearances and cement his status as one of the best scorers in the league.
The 34-year-old wants to play in Los Angeles, and his best chance could be on the horizon. He is on a $28.6 million expiring contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Lakers could trade Gabe Vincent and D’Angelo Russell to land DeRozan to solve any ball-handling and scoring issues they have.
Unfortunately, the five-time All-Star is not the cleanest fit because of his lack of 3-point shooting and defense.
If the Los Angeles Lakers are searching for an influx of top-end talent, they will struggle to land someone better. The Bulls may enter a rebuild before the deadline and would be lucky to get more than one first-round pick and a couple of seconds for DeRozan. It would mean going back to the three star route but could be the Lakers’ best chance.
1. Kyrie Irving
It is no secret that Kyrie and LeBron James want to play together again. There were rumblings when Irving was a free agent in the summer, but the Lakers would have been forced to abandon many of the talents that helped them reach the conference finals last season. Los Angeles, still feeling the sting of Russell Westbrook, opted for depth and role players over a third star.
They could abandon it and try the other route if their slow start turns into a serious issue. The Mavericks are 7-2 and look like a dangerous team, but Irving is no stranger to asking out even when his current franchise is successful. The eight-time All-Star wants another ring and likely feels teaming with LeBron gives him the best chance at getting it.
Irving is one of the best scorers and ball-handlers in the world. Adding him solves all of the Lakers’ offensive issues. They may struggle to defend, but upgrading from Gabe Vincent and D-Lo to Kyrie would significantly improve their title odds. They are just left asking if Irving is available.
The Los Angeles Lakers could look to quickly move on from Gabe Vincent if things do not improve. Who will they land in the trade? LeBron James wants to bring another championship to LA, and the front office will try to build the team around him. Expect Rob Pelinka and company to make moves, so stay tuned to see if it is enough to propel them on a deep postseason run.
Ranking 24 worst Lakers starters of the Kobe Bryant era
The Los Angeles Lakers won five championships with Kobe Bryant, but that did not stop the franchise from having regrettable starters around him.