The supply is not meeting the demand for the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline. Rob Pelinka and company want someone to move the needle in the 3-and-D department. There may be no one within striking distance of what they can afford.
It's been said before, and it will be said again, but the Lakers are not swarming with trade assets they are ready to part with. There is a cautious approach being anticipated from the front office as a result. The looming financial flexibility is rumored to look enticing to management.
Sacrificing that for a win-now move is something that would not come without both the right price and the right player. The former is not ready available, and neither is the latter. Jake Fischer chimed in on the subject during a recent livestream for Bleacher Report.
Fischer said, "We have talked about the Lakers wanting and looking at 3-and-D wings ... for a long time now. ... The reality is there just aren't that many of them on the market right now."
Lakers have no realistic trade target that actually moves the needle
The NBA insider followed up with the obvious candidates of Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones. Both would be welcomed with open arms in Los Angeles. Neither is within their price range.
Fischer thought the asking price was so high from the New Orleans Pelicans that most do not even believe they are truly available. For a team with one tradeable first-round pick like the Lakers, that does not bode well.
Just how bad is the cost that Fischer is alluding to? Well, if Brett Siegel is to be believed, the answer is downright ugly for the Lakers.
Siegel wrote, "The Pelicans have made it clear to teams around the league that both young talents will come at a high asking price, starting at a minimum of two unprotected first-round picks, league sources said."
The Lakers literally can't make that happen right now.
Even if they could, just how valuable would those be to the recipient of the picks? With Luka Doncic in Los Angeles, it's not like the Lakers are projected for the lottery any time soon.
The superstar point guard is only 26 years old. Giving him reinforcements that match his timeline should have any selections tied to Los Angeles slated for the latter stages of the first round in their respective NBA Drafts.
Are the Lakers stuck with what they have? Perhaps not down to the very last detail. They could always make a move around the margins. A seismic quake the likes of last season seems like a long shot by comparison.