Despite virtually having the same roster as the previous season, the Los Angeles Lakers have appeared to be considerably more productive on the court under new head coach JJ Redick. Redick has placed players in more advantageous situations for success, which has resulted in basketball victories on the floor.

Los Angeles has appeared far more formidable, even though the season is still early. But the Lakers will probably need to make a trade if they want to seriously compete for another championship.

The Los Angeles Lakers have limited resources for a potential deal, which could present challenges within the league. However, they might still find themselves in a favorable position if general manager Rob Pelinka gets creative.

Andy Bailey of *Bleacher Report* proposed some bold trade scenarios for the NBA, including one where the Lakers acquire Atlanta Hawks star point guard Trae Young.

In this hypothetical trade, Los Angeles would give up a 2029 first-round pick, a 2030 first-round pick, a 2031 first-round pick, along with guard D’Angelo Russell, forward Rui Hachimura, and guard Gabe Vincent.

“In the offseason, there appeared to be much more interest in Trae Young joining the Los Angeles Lakers, who already had LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It’s possible that L.A.’s performance was a little better than anticipated, which put a halt to this specific rumor, but it’s not impossible for it to resurface. Perhaps a Lakers losing streak will help. It could also be the realization that the squad might not be as prepared to make it to the post-LeBron playoffs. And L.A. should be prepared to part with the salary-matching contracts and draft picks required to lure the Atlanta Hawks if either or both of those scenarios materialize.”

The Lakers might gain from acquiring Young, but Los Angeles probably wouldn’t part with three picks for him. The Lakers might only be ready to part with one first-round pick for him because of his declining value in the NBA in recent years.

Young may help the Lakers’ offense remain strong and provide them with a third star to work with. But there are a lot of unanswered questions in his defense, which might make the Lakers hesitant.

The Lakers have long been connected to the Hawks guard, and it may eventually lead to his transfer. Now, though, it seems a bit improbable.

According to reports, the Lakers placed a frustrating guard on the trade block.

In their first season under head coach JJ Redick, the Los Angeles Lakers are a far better club than they were the previous season. LeBron James is not slowing down, Anthony Davis is playing at an MVP level, and the Lakers appear to be a postseason contender in the Western Conference.

However, they don’t appear to have much chance of winning a championship. The Lakers still need to improve their roster in order to have a real chance of making it to the NBA Finals in the competitive Western Conference.

Lakers supporters are therefore fervently hoping for big trade deadline moves. Jovan Buha of The Athletic recently talked about what we may see from general manager Rob Pelinka in the months ahead.

NBA Insider Says Laker Is Most Likely to Be Traded

The most likely Laker to be dealt this season, according to Buha’s most recent mailbag episode, is Gabe Vincent. D’Angelo Russell, another point guard, trailed behind him.

Russell earns $18.6 million in 2024–25, while Vincent earns $11 million. At the deadline, the Lakers might be able to acquire a player of starter caliber by combining those two salaries with draft compensation. Veterans like Kyle Kuzma, Cam Johnson, and Jerami Grant may be viable candidates.

It makes sense that the Lakers would want to move on from Vincent. The former Miami Heat guard has had trouble staying healthy since joining Los Angeles in the 2023 summer, missing nearly all of the previous campaign. He is healthy this year, but his shooting is still subpar. At the moment, he is shooting 18.8% from downtown and 28.8% from the field.

It makes obvious that the Lakers would want to add a more dependable and capable veteran to the mix given Vincent’s enormous offensive liability. The Lakers only need to find three-and-D players who can work around Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, who currently shoulder the majority of the offensive load.