If the latest rumors are true, the Los Angeles Lakers might actually be getting serious about making a trade. It is about time.
According to Jovan Buha of Buha’s Block, the team could now be open to taking on contracts that go beyond next season. That might not sound huge at first, but for a front office that has spent the last few years avoiding long-term money, it is a pretty big deal.
It essentially means that they are finally loosening up, and when you have LeBron James and Luka Doncic on your roster, that is exactly what you should be doing. For the last three offseasons, the Lakers have made zero trades. Not one.
They have always talked a bug game about being all-in, but the actions have not matched the message. Now, things might be changing.
Lakers might finally be ready to make a real move
Buha explained that the Lakers are looking to package guys like Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, and Maxi Kleber into a more impactful player, someone who can actually move the needle. A two-way starter. A high-level bench guy. Just someone better.
To get that kind of player, you almost always have to give up a first round pick. Now, it sounds like they’re finally willing to do that, and they should be.
The sad truth is that LeBron is not going to be around forever. Doncic is in the middle of his prime. This version of the Lakers simply can’t afford to wait around and hope for midseason buyouts or bargain signings. If they want to contend, they need to make a legitimate move before the season even starts.
The team has been fine in free agency. Adding Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia helped.
They are still sitting behind teams like the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference. If they want to actually compete with those squads in the playoffs, they need to go get one more difference-maker.
For the first time in a while, it feels like they just might. Whether it is someone like Andrew Wiggins or another name that has not been leaked yet to the public, the Lakers are in a position to make a a trade, and the front office finally seems ready to pull the trigger.