The Los Angeles Lakers are like a kid on a sugar high. They can't seem to sit still, at least not general manager Rob Pelinka, and there's no telling when they'll finally slow down. The purple and gold are used to dominating NBA headlines, but these last few weeks have taken that front page omnipresence to ridiculous levels.
First, there was the shock of the century, a.k.a. the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade. Next came the Mark Williams trade, another blockbuster that signaled that the Lakers were really, truly going for it. Things were going just a little too well for L.A. at that point though, because Williams failed his physical with the team, throwing Pelinka's plans into disarray as the trade deadline had already passed.
Now left to scramble for a big man to fill the massive shoes left by AD, Pelinka signed Alex Len. Certainly not a move that would take up even one percent of the bandwidth of his previous two transactions, but still, a sign that one setback wouldn't bring about complacency.
Even All-Star weekend ended up generating headlines for L.A., albeit not for the reasons fans would have hoped, as LeBron James pulled out of playing the All-Star Game shortly before it was scheduled to tip off. Every move LeBron makes is picked apart, but even though his reasoning for dropping out was to rest his aching foot and ankle, his decision still rubbed everyone the wrong way since it was too late to replace him with another deserving player like Domantas Sabonis or Norm Powell.
Through all of this, the Lakers have been playing outstanding basketball, solidifying their foothold in the Western Conference playoff race by winning 12 of their last 15.
The All-Star festivities may be done, but that just means that we can return to our regularly scheduled programming, or if you prefer, more Lakers news. L.A. already signed Len in the buyout market, but they're probably not done yet. We wrote yesterday about three players they should look to sign, and today we'll call out three players that they shouldn't.
1. Bones Hyland
Most NBA insiders expect the Lakers to go after one more big man in the buyout market. Bones Hyland, all 6-foot-2 of him, is certainly not that, but that's not why L.A. should steer clear of him.
Lost in the hubbub over Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis is the fact that Max Christie also went to Dallas with AD. That's not an insignificant detail, as the third-year wing had evolved into a really useful rotation piece in the last two months. On paper, Hyland is a player that could give L.A. some of its depth back, but his steadily declining usage since joining the Clippers three seasons ago is a red flag.
Hyland also isn't much of a two-way player like Christie is. He's known as a scorer, but he hasn't even been doing much of that, as he's averaging under eight points in his time as a Clipper.
Hyland also doesn't strike me as someone who's going to help team chemistry, as he's been known as a player whose opinion of his own game exceeds his actual production. He might be the only guy that couldn't co-exist with Nikola Jokic, and the Clippers, who are two games behind the Lakers, had no issue with sending him to Atlanta in the Bogdan Bogdanovich trade.
If the Lakers do sign a buyout wing, there are better fits than Hyland out there.
2. P.J. Tucker
Say what you want about P.J. Tucker, but that man knows how to rack up frequent flyer miles. The nomadic vet, who began his NBA career in 2006, has been passed around to four different teams in the last two weeks, going from the Clippers to the Jazz to the Heat to the Raptors, the same team with which he started his career.
Tucker hasn't been bought out yet, but it is going to happen. He'll latch on with a playoff contender somewhere, most likely a young team in need of veteran leadership. That's not the Lakers, one of the most experienced teams in the league.
The only person older than Tucker that's still playing in the NBA is LeBron James. The Lakers are back to being a hot, happening team after trading for Doncic. Do we really need to get an AARP discount on team meals?
Age wouldn't be a concern if Tucker was producing, but he's basically Udonis Haslem at this point. He hasn't played all year, and he hasn't averaged more than 3.5 points per game since 2021-22. Unless LeBron wants a surrogate father for Bronny for when he's on the court and unable to parent, Tucker just doesn't make sense on this team.
3. Cody Zeller
It was telling that Doncic reportedly made it clear that he'd like to play with an athletic, rim-running big like he did in Dallas, and Pelinka wasted no time in trading for Mark Williams. The fact that the Williams deal fell through only obviates the need for that type of player. Jaxson Hayes has some of that in him, but he's the only one on the roster that can be counted on to throw down a lob with any reliability (he actuallyalley-ooped home the first two baskets of the Luka era).
Cody Zeller has never been an above-the-rim player, and he won't magically develop that ability once he finally returns from the shoulder injury that's kept him out all year. He hasn't been waived by the Rockets just yet, but with Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams already locked into their roles, there doesn't seem to be a place for him on the up-and-coming Rockets.
Zeller's injury will surely make Pelinka reticent to acquire him after what happened with Williams, but besides that, there's not really anything Zeller can do at this point that the Lakers can't get from Hayes and Len. This would be making a move for the sake of staying busy. Put down the chocolate, Rob.
If the Lakers do add another big, it needs to be someone that fits with Doncic's request, or at least someone who brings something new to the table. Zeller ain't it.