Fans of the Los Angeles Lakers have been looking forward to the playoffs since their favorite team traded for Luka Dončić back in February. There's still much to be settled in regards to seeding, but with only eight regular season games left, the wait is almost over.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the favorites in the West due to their overwhelming regular season record. The Lakers are very much in the mix, though, along with several other teams that they've been battling all season, including the Rockets, Nuggets, Grizzlies and Warrior. Luka, LeBron James and Austin Reaves are a playmaking matchup nightmare for any opponent, and the L.A.'s defense, which was vilified in the early part of the season, has made great strides in the last few months (the last two weeks notwithstanding).
The Lakers take on the Rockets tonight in a possible playoff preview. If these two teams did meet, it would be must-see TV. The Lakers have star power and experience, while Houston has a tough defensive identity that has vaulted them all the way to second in the West.
It may seem early to begin thinking about it, but this will be the final playoff run for some players on the roster. For some newcomers, it will be their only playoff run with the team. A few Lakers are set to hit free agency in the offseason, while others will inevitably traded away as general manager Rob Pelinka continues to try to build a champion.
The upcoming postseason will tell Pelinka a lot about which players should be here for the long haul and which ones should be shipped out, but we thought we'd take our best guess on who will go before then. What follows isn't exactly a complete list, as we'd expect Christian Koloko and Markieff Morris to leave in free agency, but they don't play enough to warrant more than a passing mention. These other three players do.
Jaxson Hayes
Jaxson Hayes has been everything the Lakers could have hoped for and more since he was elevated to the role of starting center after Anthony Davis was traded away. Hayes has been superb defensively, and he's been the kind of rim-runner that complements the Lakers' trio of creators perfectly.
The Lakers would love to have Hayes back, even if it is likely that they try to land a more established center in the offseason. The problem is that Hayes has played so well that he's priced the Lakers out of retaining him. L.A. is up against the second apron as it is, and whatever Hayes gets paid, it will be much more than the $2.4 million he's making this year.
Some other team will see what Hayes has done in his expanded role and offer him more money to leave, and the Lakers will have no way to match it. This feels like a relationship that will end on good terms, one but that has run its course nonetheless.
Dalton Knecht
The Lakers tried to trade Dalton Knecht away already this season, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see them do it again. The first time was in an attempt to land Mark Williams from the Hornets, but when that trade fell through, it created he awkward situation of having to send Knecht and Cam Reddish back to L.A. armed with the knowledge that the team had just tried to get rid of them.
Knecht has had a real roller coaster of a rookie season. At times he's looked like the ideal sixth man for this team, someone who can come off the bench and provide instant offense with his confident outside shooting. That was the case in early March as he averaged 16 points per game over a seven-game stretch.
At other times, Knecht has had trouble with his shot, trouble getting on the court, or both. That's been true lately, as he's scored a total of 14 points over his last five games while playing only 34 minutes.
This is a veteran Lakers team that has a championship-or-bust mentality. If Pelinka can package Knecht in another deal for a center, he's going to do it.
Gabe Vincent
There are only a few guys on this roster that can realistically be used as trade chips this offseason. Knecht is one, and Gabe Vincent is another. Vincent has slowly raised his scoring average month over month this season, but Pelinka still won't hesitate to package him for an impact guy.
Any trade for a real player is going to take some outgoing salary to make the numbers work. Knecht is on a rookie contract, which makes his number negligible in that regard. Vincent will have one year and $11.5 million left on his deal. That's a start for a proven player. Throw in some draft picks and maybe Rui Hachimura and his $18 million salary and Pelinka has a package that could entice a lot of teams that are looking to deal a disgruntled star.
It's important to remember that Vincent missed most of last season with a knee injury, so the fact that he has slowly looked better this year is an encouraging sign that there are better days still ahead. A strong playoff performance could prove to the Lakers that he deserves to stay in JJ Redick's rotation long term, or it could be a way to advertise to the trade market that he's worth adding as more than just an expiring contract.