The Los Angeles Lakers were handled with ease on national television on Tuesday night by the Milwaukee Bucks. That game could very well be the tipping point for the organization, as they saw first-hand that the roster they put together isn’t near the same level as the other contenders around the NBA.
The Lakers need help and they need it badly. However, it is fair to question where that help will be coming from. While they are now accepting the harsh reality that adding Russell Westbrook to LeBron James and Anthony Davis wasn’t a winning formula, there is not much they can do to upgrade this roster.
As Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated laid out, Los Angeles is lacking assets to build a trade package that would entice teams to make a deal.
“L.A. continues to canvas the league but with limited flexibility (Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn are the only players outside of James, Davis, and Russell Westbrook who are signed to anything more than a minimum deal) and assets (Horton-Tucker has value, but his struggles shooting has certainly impacted it) there has not been any traction yet on anything of substance.”
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Rob Pelinka essentially emptied the tank to acquire Westbrook from the Washington Wizards in the offseason. It has not panned out as Westbrook has proven to be a poor fit alongside the other All-Stars on the team. Head coach Frank Vogel has begun benching him for stretches of the game as his performance has become too big of a detriment to the team.
Trading him at this point seems highly unlikely. Teams rarely admit they made a mistake and wave the flag on a move they made. But, if the opportunity arises to do so, Los Angeles has to think long and hard about it, especially if they want to make anything of what looks like a lost season.
The Houston Rockets are one team that has reportedly been willing to trade for Westbrook but on their terms. They want the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2027 first-round pick. That pick has yet to be put on the table but was it to be, the New York Knicks could also get involved for a package of players to fill out the Lakers’ rotation.
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James and Davis aren’t going anywhere right now, so the team will likely have to aim lower in trade negotiations. Justin Holiday would have been a solid target, but he was included in the deal between the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers.
Jerami Grant is someone that the Lakers would love to have, but a deal with the Pistons doesn’t seem feasible. Could the Wizards make for a good trade partner again? Mannix believes Spencer Dinwiddie is someone Los Angeles could target along with Terrence Ross of the Orlando Magic.
“The Lakers would love to extract Grant from Detroit but the Pistons will likely field stronger offers before the deadline, and may elect to keep Grant, a Troy Weaver favorite, on the roster. Spencer Dinwiddie is available in Washington and a Horton-Tucker/draft pick package could be enough to entice a Wizards team with interest in offloading Dinwiddie’s contract. Orlando’s Terrence Ross is another option.”
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Grant would help the Los Angeles Lakers the most as a versatile two-way forward that can take some of the pressure off of James as the only reliable wing on the roster. An argument could be made that Spencer Dinwiddie wouldn’t be much of an upgrade given how inefficient he has been shooting the ball this season and a lot of the spacing issues the team already has would still exist.
Of the three players mentioned, Terrence Ross is likely the most attainable and best fit. Los Angeles is desperate for help at shooting guard and small forward beyond Malik Monk and he would help fill that void. He is a bonafide scorer and one of the best sixth men in the NBA, combining with Carmelo Anthony to make one of the most potent bench duos in the league.
