5 Lakers who are expendable, 2 who LA can't afford to trade
By Jason Reed
As one of the premier contenders in the NBA with several tradeable contracts, the Los Angeles Lakers are naturally going to be involved in most of the trade rumors this season. Fans have already seen it happen with Zach LaVine and the assortment of players the Chicago Bulls may trade.
In navigating these waters, the Lakers need to decide which players are worth keeping and which players they are willing to part ways with if the price is right. Drawing that line in the sand can be a tough thing to do.
That didn't stop us here at Lake Show Life. There are several players who the Lakers could absolutely afford to trade if the price is right, although there are also players who should be untouchable if other teams are asking.
And for clarity's sake, we are not including LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as those two are painfully obvious; we also are not including players who don't really have any trade value (like Jaxson Hayes or Taurean Prince). Jarred Vanderbilt also wasn't in consideration as he physically cannot be traded this season.
Lakers can afford to trade Jalen Hood-Schifino
The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Jalen Hood-Schifino with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. While Hood-Schifno has potential and may one day blossom into a solid player, his timeline does not match with the Lakers' timeline.
The Lakers are trying to capitalize on the current window that the team has, which won't last forever. By the time JHS is ready to contribute that window may be closed and the Lakers may be entering a different era of the franchise altogether.
Thus, is the Lakers can improve the team now by parting ways with the rookie they should do it. This is especially prevalent considering that the team does not have many future picks it can trade right now, which makes JHS a more intriguing carrot to dangle in front of other teams.