The Los Angeles Lakers are running out of options in free agency and backing themselves into the corner of requiring a trade to improve. It's an unenviable place to be for the only franchise that hasn't yet signed a new player this offseason.
With the perceived need for a trade hanging over their heads, the Lakers must now decide who among their players qualifies as untouchable.
It's difficult to definitively declare a player as untouchable, as the opportunity to trade for a superstar often disregards all previous discussions. It would behoove Los Angeles to commit to a core that it intends to keep together, however, and that goes beyond simply identifying players it would prefer to keep.
Instead, the Lakers must look at their roster and figure out which collection of players resemble the future they hope to build towards.
Despite how bleak the future is often made to look by fans and skeptics alike, the Lakers have an interesting core they can build around. That includes two All-NBA mainstays in their extended primes and two up-and-coming players with the tools to become full-time starters moving forward.
The list of untouchable players begins in the most obvious of places: With the only player in the Association to earn All-NBA and All-Defense honors in 2023-24.
1. Anthony Davis
It's hard to imagine a scenario in which the Lakers would be willing to trade Anthony Davis. There aren't many players in the NBA who are definitively better than him, and those who are likely have the untouchable tag attached to their names by their respective organizations.
Coming off of one of the best seasons of his career, and in the midst of a dominant run with Team USA, there's no more obvious player to list here than Davis.
Davis earned All-NBA Second Team and All-Defensive First Team recognition for his tremendous 2023-24 campaign. He appeared in 76 out of 82 games, averaging 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.1 offensive boards, 3.5 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals per appearance.
Davis isn't just productive, but efficient in everything he does, as evidenced by his 55.6 percent shooting from the field and 81.6 percent mark at the free throw line.
Furthermore, Davis ranked No. 1 in the NBA in second-chance points, No. 2 in points via post-ups, No. 3 in double-doubles, and No. 1 among centers in three-point field goals contested. He was also the only player in the Association who ranked in the top 15 in points, rebounds, and blocks per game.
A true franchise player with elite two-way value, trading Davis would be a disastrous decision that Pelinka would be unlikely to even begin to consider.