3 all-stars from 2024 that may soon join the Lakers

Trae Young

This is the most likely player on this list to end up on the purple and gold and it could happen as early as the 2024-25 season. There are already trade rumors floating around that the Lakers could explore a Young trade this offseason, which is plausible with the status of the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta would probably be better off if they did a Utah Jazz-like deconstruction after the 2023-24 season. This team is not really going anywhere with Young and Murray and the Hawks need to pawn the assets off while they still have value. The alternative is keeping this core intact and remaining a play-in team while the trade assets lose value.

The Lakers will have three first-round picks to trade for Young (if New Orleans decides to take the team's 2025 pick instead of the 2024 pick) and also has the contracts to make it work. If the Hawks do the sensible thing and shop Young then the Lakers will be the runaway favorites.

That does not mean it will be a smart move, though. Young does not play winning basketball and the team would simply be doing the Russell Westbrook situation all over again. It would not be quite as bad as Young can space the floor but his horrid defending and massively-high usage rate would hurt the team.

Just because it is not smart doesn't make it any less likely, though. If Young is being shopped then he might be destined to be a Laker... that is as long as the third player on this list isn't traded to LA first.