5 Trades to Elevate the Los Angeles Lakers To Contenders

The clock is ticking on the L.A. Lakers and their chances of winning another championship. With LeBron James on the horizon of his 40th birthday, there will only be a couple of more cracks at winning a title during this era for one of the league’s most storied franchises.

On some level, it must have hurt the Lakers to see the Boston Celtics win their 18th championship last season, breaking the tie between the two organizations for the most banners in NBA history.

The part of it that has to sting more is the fact that, only a few years ago, the Lakers looked poised to be the ones taking the lead in that regard.

The Lakers had a strong team during the 2019-20 season. It was good enough to win the title in an extraordinarily difficult year for everyone. That roster they assembled still holds up as one of the better championship teams in recent memory.

However, there were several missteps since then that sent the Lakers in the wrong direction. The worst of the bunch was probably the infamous trade to acquire Russell Westbrook.

The Lakers have been stuck, hovering around the NBA Play-In Tournament for the last few seasons. With a loaded Western Conference to navigate during the 2024-25 season, things are not about to get any easier for them.

The 2024 offseason was defined by the lack of activity for the Lakers. The biggest change was to the head coaching position. They fired Darvin Ham, replacing him with JJ Redick.

One would imagine that the offseason additions of Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, and Christian Koloko would not be enough to fully elevate the Lakers to the status of contenders. There are certainly reasons to like some of the moves, but ultimately they are not game-changing upgrades.

With that in mind, there should still be a handful of trades out there for the Lakers to make and potentially improve their odds of winning a championship next season. Perhaps there is a blockbuster on its way to Hollywood. Or maybe the Lakers simply need to tinker with the strength of their depth to take the next step.

5 Reuniting With A Familiar Face

The Lakers could strengthen their depth at the guard position

Lonzo Ball has had an unfortunate few years. Injuries have really taken a toll on his career. The good news is that from the reports that are out there, Ball looks poised to return to the court in 2024-25.

The bad news is that the Chicago Bulls have made moves that leave Ball’s future with the team doubtful.

One would imagine that the Bulls are completely open for business between now and the 2025 trade deadline. They appear to be a team that is looking forward to playing Capture the Flagg this season.

Considering that Ball has missed over two and a half seasons of basketball, his trade value should not be overwhelmingly high at the moment. If the Lakers believe in where he is physically and mentally after that much time away from the court, striking a deal to bring him back to Los Angeles could be beneficial.

Nikola Vucevic would theoretically be the bigger prize here. The Bulls center should be able to slot into the starting lineup, allowing the Lakers to play big while sliding Anthony Davis over to the power forward spot.

The draft pick compensation involved in this deal can be disputed, depending on the value that one believes Vučević to carry. However, one would imagine this is not the deal where the Lakers give up a future first-round pick.

Ball can comfortably slot in to the sixth man role for the team. The Lakers also walked away from the trade with D’Angelo Russell still on the team and ready to be paired with other assets for some help on the defensive wings.

4 Buying Low On Zach LaVine

A high risk, high reward gamble for the Lakers

Sticking with the Bulls, Ball and Vučević are certainly not the only players worth a look for the Lakers. With the trade value of Zach LaVine at an all-time low, the Lakers could likely get him for relatively cheap in a potential trade.

The trade market for LaVine appears to be non-existent at the moment. This could mean that the Bulls would part with him at a low price. Between LaVine’s contract and health concerns, no team appears willing to pay a premium to acquire him at the moment.

Perhaps a change of scenery and an opportunity to be the third star next to James and Davis would help LaVine reestablish himself as a star in the league. The two-time All-Star would theoretically have the easiest scoring opportunities of his life, with defenses having big priorities to handle in that potential trio.

The Lakers would likely need to experiment with something similar to what they did during the 2020 championship run after this trade. They would also need to hope that the surrounding defensive talent can elevate LaVine on that end, who has never posted a positive defensive box plus/minus in a season during his career.

3 Another Old Face Returns To Los Angeles

The Lakers could pay a steep price to bring back an NBA champion

Getting rid of Kyle Kuzma in the Westbrook trade was one of the worst things that the Lakers have done in recent memory. With the way Kuzma has blossomed as a Washington Wizards player, he is exactly the kind of piece that would fit well with the Lakers’ current team.

Kuzma would be a great piece in terms of supplementary scoring to the duo of James and Davis. He should also be a reliable contributor defensively.

Depending on what point in the NBA season this deal is made, there should be other players that the Lakers could have their eye on as well. Their interest in Jonas Valanciunas has been clear. Malcolm Brogdon is another player who could be worth a look.

If Kuzma is the only player they receive back in this deal, it would still be promising. However, the more valuable role players that the Lakers can squeeze out of this one, the better.

2 A Blockbuster In Los Angeles

The Hawks part ways with their star

It feels tough to fixate on what exactly the trade value of Trae Young is. There were plenty of rumors surrounding the three-time All-Star during the offseason, but nothing ultimately materialized.

If the Lakers decided to pursue an approach that features three stars leading the team, rather than a more balanced unit around James and Davis, Young would probably be one of the most readily-available players they could acquire.

Any trade with the Hawks would likely require the Lakers paying a steep price to bring in the offensive machine that is Young. The bright side of the situation is that he and Davis would secure some sort of future after James’ eventual retirement.

Young could significantly alleviate the offensive load on James in his final years. He would also be a dynamic pick-and-roll partner for Davis. Trying to overcome Young’s defensive limitations will be a challenge. However, this team would be difficult to hold down on the offensive end.

1 The Ultimate Win-Now Move

The Lakers forget about the future and go all-in

Jimmy Butler‘s future with the Miami Heat is in some serious doubt. Rumors are already swirling about Butler’s next destination, with no contract extension in sight for the 35-year-old.

A trade to acquire Butler would be a bold move by the Lakers. However, in a best-case scenario, it would absolutely put them in position for another championship.

The lack of assurance that Butler is guaranteed to stay in Los Angeles could actually be a good leverage point to not give up their first round pick in 2029. However, there has been dispute in the past over whether Butler was hinting at his desire to play with the Lakers.

A trio of James, Davis, and Butler would be as good as any top three in the league, should they remain healthy. The question from there might be what additional moves the Lakers could make to shore up the supporting cast.

Stats are courtesy of Basketball Reference.