The Los Angeles Lakers have been going in circles during the 2024 period of free agency. At every turn, it's been thoroughly established how limited Los Angeles' options are and how scarce the list of impact players it could potentially trade for actually is.
While blocking out the noise and going all-in on an All-Star in their prime is certainly a compelling goal, a simple question should be asked: What if the Lakers go a different route?
Los Angeles is preparing to run back effectively the same roster from a season ago. 2024 NBA Draft selections Dalton Knecht and Bronny James should add something new to the team, and Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent remaining healthy would enable their impact to be registered.
Either way, the Lakers need to be proactive in finding ways to improve without relying on a fractured formula, and the trade market is an asset in that regard.
The likes of Darius Garland, Lauri Markkanen, and Trae Young have been floated around as potential trade targets. Beyond the usual suspects, however, the Lakers will need to weigh their options—including the possibility that an All-Star may not be the answer at all.
The question is: Who else can the Lakers attempt to target as they look to add a player who can make an immediate impact for a championship hopeful?
Bogdan Bogdanovic, Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks have hit the proverbial reset button by trading Dejounte Murray for a package centered around future assets. Dyson Daniels is an intriguing former lottery pick, but his immediate impact doesn't seem to align with the window that Trae Young gives Atlanta to compete.
If Atlanta is looking to hit the reset button, then trading a player with three more seasons on their deal seems to align with the vision—and that makes Bogdan Bogdanovic a perfect target for the Lakers.
Bogdanovic is entering the second season of a frontloaded four-year, $68 million contract. He'll make a more than manageable $16,020,000 in each of the final two seasons on his contract, and has a team option for the 2026-27 campaign.
Far more important than the damage control, however, is the fact that Bogdanovic is a true impact player.
This past season, Bogdanovic averaged 16.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 3.0 three-point field goals made while shooting 37.4 percent from beyond the arc. He's shot 39.1 percent from distance over the past four seasons, and is capable of both breaking defenders down and spotting up.
The Lakers need players who are comfortable taking shots near the end of the clock and shooters who can work without the ball, and Bogdanovic checks both boxes at an affordable price.