The Los Angeles Lakers are 16-15 and in ninth place in the Western Conference as they get ready to say goodbye to 2023. It has been a calendar year that saw them drastically improve their roster. Despite the resulting deep playoff run in the spring and optimism during the summer, they’re falling short of expectations.
Granted, they haven’t been relatively healthy for much of this season, but they have been healthy enough for much of December. That means there is now enough of a sample space to start assessing this team.
Many seem to agree that at least a minor trade will be needed to once again catapult the Lakers into the upper echelon of the NBA. Trade rumors have been swirling the last several weeks, and it is clear they have three specific roster needs.
A 3-and-D wing
One of the reasons L.A. turned things around in February was it finally had viable depth at the wing and forward positions. The arrivals of Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt meant it had players at those spots who could contribute and produce.
While Hachimura can be a slightly above-average defender, Vanderbilt is seen as an offensive liability. Meanwhile, Taurean Prince, a free-agent acquisition over the summer, is a good 3-point shooter but perhaps only a somewhat average defender.
The Lakers need more 3-point shooting, and they could also use more defensive pressure on the perimeter, especially with guard Gabe Vincent out for at least eight weeks due to knee surgery.
Although he’s more of a guard than a true wing, Alex Caruso has been talked about as a potential trade target. The Chicago Bulls guard played for the Lakers a few years ago and was an important role player on their 2020 championship team. So far this season, Caruso is shooting a remarkable 44.9% from downtown to go along with his outstanding defense.
A legitimate backup big man
Even as the Lakers streaked toward the Western Conference finals several months ago, they lacked a competent backup for superstar big man Anthony Davis.
It appeared they had addressed that problem just enough when they signed Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes in free agency over the summer. In particular, fans hoped Wood would give the team a boost rather than simply being an innings-eater.
But Wood has been a big disappointment, and he has seemingly fallen out of head coach Darvin Ham’s rotation. While Hayes has had his moments, he has barely made a positive impact, and he’s averaging just 10.6 minutes a game this season.
As a result, Ham has gone small at times when Davis is resting, which has left his team vulnerable defensively and on the boards.
The Lakers don’t necessarily need a high-impact big man off the bench, but they do need someone who will rebound, defend, score occasionally and bring plenty of energy and effort.
An upgrade at point guard
D’Angelo Russell, who arrived in February’s Russell Westbrook trade, proved a smooth, steady and productive ball-handling and facilitating guard upon his arrival. But his production evaporated in the playoffs, and he was downright awful in the Western Conference finals versus the Denver Nuggets.
He played very well in November, but he has struggled mightily for most of December. While he has seemingly regained his shooting touch over the last couple of games, he has been tabbed by some as a candidate to be traded if the Lakers want to make a bold move.
The latest rumor is they’re interested in Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. Murray is a capable ball-handler and distributor, and he is a strong defender. In addition, he has improved his shooting over the years and is hitting 37.4% of his 3-point attempts this season.
If the team decides it needs to replace Russell, a point guard who can defend, push the ball in transition, set others up and hit 3-pointers at a high rate would be ideal. But of course, such guards don’t grow on trees, and L.A. would need to give up real value and likely draft capital to land such a player.
