The Los Angeles Lakers are widely expected to be among the most active teams in the NBA on the trade market. Los Angeles is 14-12 and among the most top-heavy teams in the Association—and the lack of cohesiveness and consistency has yielded the need for improvement.
With a need for depth at almost every position, and ongoing conversations about the sustainability of the current core, it should come as no surprise that the list of trade targets is growing.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic recently provided a report that the Lakers are eyeing as many as eight players on the trade market. Many of the players are familiar faces on the rumor front, while others haven't been named in as concrete a manner until now.
In either event, Buha has provided readers with an opportunity to understand just how wide the Lakers' search for the right trade target is. The list of players is expansive and prioritizes different skills based on position and need.
The question is: Based on Buha's report, which player at each position actually qualifies as the ideal target?
Point Guard: Collin Sexton, Utah Jazz
If the Lakers are looking to trade D'Angelo Russell for a player they believe can provide long-term value, then Collin Sexton could fit the bill. Sexton is a dynamic shot creator who has proven capable of shooting the lights out from beyond the arc.
There are questions about Sexton's injury history and the limited playing time he's received with the Utah Jazz, but talent isn't something the Lakers should be concerned about.
Sexton is currently averaging 16.3 points, 3.1 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.7 three-point field goals made in just 27.6 minutes per game. He's doing so in a remkarkably efficient manner, posting a slash line of .480/.420/.900.
Sexton's shooting percentages may decline a bit as the season progresses, but his career shooting marks of .469/.386/.838 suggest he's not very far off of what he typically provides.
Furthermore, Sexton averaged 18.7 points and 4.9 assists in 26.6 minutes per game in 2023-24, shooting .487/.394/.859. All of this is to say: While there are concerns about his defensive consistency and the fact that he missed 105 games between 2021-22 and 2022-23, he's since been healthy and as productive as any guard below the All-Star line.
At a team-friendly $18,350,000 for the 2024-25 season and $19,175,000 in 2025-26, Sexton has a contract and talent level worth gambling on.
Shooting Guard: Bruce Brown Jr., Toronto Raptors
One of the most enigmatic players on the open market, Bruce Brown Jr. isn't far removed from playing a key role on a championship team. It was in 2022-23 that he thrived on both ends of the floor for the Denver Nuggets, providing key stops and tough buckets en route to the team's first title.
Injuries have since deflated his career, but if he can get back on the court and return to the level he's long played at, Brown would be an excellent mid-season addition.
Brown, 28, hasn't yet made his 2024-25 season debut due to his recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery. He appeared in 67 games in 2023-24, although injuries and a trade to the perimeter-heavy Toronto Raptors limited his efficacy.
The hope in Los Angeles appears to be that Brown could arrive and effectively fill the role that the Lakers were hoping Gabe Vincent would occupy.
When he's at his best, Brown is a versatile player who can defend every angle of the court and play far bigger than his size would suggest. His effort on defense goes without question and his ability to hit big shots during the postseason is undoubtedly intriguing.
Compounded by the fact that Brown has an expiring salary at $23 million, this would be a low-risk investment in a proven commodity.
Forward: Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers
Due to the ambiguity of the forward position in the modern era, there isn't a distinction to be made between the 3 and the 4 in this scenario. Instead, the Lakers' top targets in those areas are versatile enough to shift between the traditional small and power forward roles.
That begins with one of the players who epitomizes the drastic changes made to the power forward position: Portland Trail Blazers veteran Jerami Grant.
Grant has come to epitomize the 3-and-D role at both forward positions. His rebounding numbers may pale in comparison to the power forwards of yesteryear but he can defend up in size while maintaining the versatility to work the perimeter in that same capacity.
Once his team gets the ball back, Grant is one of the best shooters in the NBA, converting 39.8 percent of his 794 attempts since the start of the 2022-23 season.
There are rational concerns when it comes to acquiring Grant, which is likely why it hasn't happened yet. He's missed 102 games over the past five seasons, and has four years and $132,413,793 remaining on his current contract.
If the Lakers are willing to bet on his health and invest in his talent, however, they'd be landing an undeniably talented player who'd help address the team's shooting and defensive woes.
Forward: Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets
An editor's choice of a player, Dorian Finney-Smith checks every box the Lakers should be listing. A high-level defender with positional versatility and a respectable outside shot, Finney-Smith is strong at the point of attack on defense and well-rounded enough to offer a bit of everything on offense.
The Lakers already have a surplus of playmakers and shot creators, but Finney-Smith could function as the high-level role player the team is missing.
Finney-Smith is a career 35.9 percent shooter from beyond the arc, with a current peak at 45.0 percent in 2024-25. For those concerned about the gap between those figures, he shot 38.9 percent from three-point range between 2019-20 and 2021-22, when he was teammates with Luka Doncic.
Considering LeBron James rivals Doncic for the title of the best playmaker in the NBA, it's safe to say Finney-Smith would have an opportunity to recreate that success.
Regardless of what he provides on offense, Finney-Smith's versatility would make him a dream fit. He can defend multiple positions at a high level, using his near 7'0" wingspan to thrive as a disruptor and his athleticism to switch against almost any style and caliber of opponent.
Finney-Smith can do just about everything situationally, and for a Lakers team that needs versatility on both ends of the floor, that could prove monumental.
Center: Jonas Valanciunas, Washington Wizards
The Lakers have been linked to Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas since the summer. It's a fact that's managed to hang over Los Angeles' head throughout the 2024-25 season, with Dec. 15 being monitored closely as the beginning of Valanciunas' eligibility to be traded.
Buha mentioned several other centers as rumored targets, including Walker Kessler and Robert Williams III, but based on injury histories, opportunity cost, and fit, the answer is Valanciunas.
Valanciunas is a 6'11" and 265-pound center with a gigantic wingspan and one of the most consistent post games in the NBA. He's been backing opponents down and finishing at virtual will for the better part of 13 seasons, and would instantly provide the Lakers with the offensive depth they lack at center.
Valanciunas is also one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA, which should be music to the ears of a team that ranks No. 24 in second-chance points.
While he isn't an elite defender, Valanciunas' size, strength, and defensive rebounding prowess would help address another issue. Los Angeles has been getting bullied by heavier bigs for years on end, which is a significant reason they rank No. 28 in second-chance points allowed.
By adding the big, bruising Valanciunas to the mix, the Lakers would receive two-way value that could change the course of the 2024-25 season.