3 trade deadline deals the Lakers should be hoping their rivals make

It's the end of January, which means NBA trade season is about to kick into another gear. Rumors abound around the league of star players being shopped, and though we haven't been hit with a mega move just yet, it's only a matter of time until the dominoes start falling.

The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be major players in the trade market. Anthony Davis has publicly entreated the front office to add a center, and general manager Rob Pelinka may not stop there in the quest to contend for the 18th championship in franchise history.

It's certainly possible that the Lakers can improve their situation by making the right moves, but making a deadline addition isn't a guarantee of future success. Too often teams can only envision getting better by adding a quality player, only to find out that now team chemistry is all wrong or the player hasn't adjusted well to his new surroundings.

To that end, let's look today not at what moves the Lakers can make to get better (we covered a few of those on Tuesday), but what realistic trades their competitors could pull off that could, in effect, sabotage them, which by proxy would help the Lakers move up in the standings. These are moves that might sound good on paper to the teams making them, but we're predicting will blow up in their faces like an ACME stick of dynamite held by Wile E. Coyote.

Rockets trade for Jimmy Butler

If the trade deadline is a novel or a movie, then Jimmy Butler has certainly been the main character. Butler has dominated the headlines with his nonstop string of antics in Miami, from coloring his hair and wearing shoes that match the colors of the Phoenix Suns, his preferred destination, to missing a team flight and walking out of practice.

The Heat have suspended Butler three times in the last month, and it seems inevitable that he's played his last game for the Heat. Where could he end up though? The Suns seem to want to get a deal done, but Bradley Beal's awful contract and no-trade clause are a huge impediment, as is Pat Riley's unwillingness to trade Butler without getting something of value in return. If Butler does end up in Phoenix, it's looking like it'll take an additional team or two to make it happen.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst recently reported that the Heat are aggressively pursuing deals, and that they have lowered their asking price as a result. This brings more teams into play for Butler's services, and one team he's been linked to is the Houston Rockets. Ime Udoka's group is second in the West and on a giant-slaying streak right now, and the thinking goes that if they can add Butler and all of his playoff experience to their young core, they'll have all the ingredients to make a playoff run.

The Lakers should hope this deal happens, for a few reasons. For one, Butler is past his prime. He's no longer the guy that dragged two inferior teams to the Finals. His numbers are down, and he can't defend like he used to.

It's entirely possible that Butler is able to flip the switch the moment he's traded, but he's been such an unrelenting headcase lately that banking on him to do that is a huge gamble for a team that's playing its best basketball. What's more likely is that he gets to Houston, takes some time to get his game back on track, and steps on a few toes in the process. The Rockets are playing with such terrific energy and cohesiveness right now that bringing Butler in could cause the whole thing to crumble.

Kings trade De'Aaron Fox to anyone but the Spurs

De'Aaron Fox is rumored to want out of Sacramento, and the Kings seem to be on board with trading him. All things being equal, Sacramento should just keep Fox and ride the season out, as they're still very much in the playoff conversation. They've been playing much better under interim head coach Doug Christie than they did under Mike Brown, and at 24-22 are well within shouting distance of a postseason spot.

Keeping Fox doesn't look like it's going to happen. Losing someone of his talent should surely tank the Kings' playoff hopes, which is a good thing for L.A., but if Fox gets his wish and goes to San Antonio (which is said to be his No. 1 choice), that could be a nightmare not only for the Lakers but for the rest of the league, as well.

The Spurs are a sleeping giant with Victor Wembanyama. Already this year they've surrounded their young French phenom with capable veterans like Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, which has resulted in a huge leap in the team's night-to-night consistency and ability to win games. Adding an All-Star point guard like Fox would mean that the future is now in San Antonio.

Where should the Lakers want Fox to end up? Let's not be choosy except to say anywhere in the East. Almost any contending team in the West would seriously level up with Fox running the point (the Rockets would be especially terrifying with him), so just to be safe, let's get him out of the conference altogether. That would weaken the Kings and dilute the overall talent pool out West, which only helps the Lakers. If somehow the Lakers face a Fox-led Eastern Conference team in the Finals? At that point, it would all be gravy and L.A. would gladly take its chances. Just please don't pair him with Wemby.

Timberwolves trade Julius Randle

I've gotta admit, I feel a bit bad for Julius Randle. He didn't ask to be traded from the Knicks to the Timberwolves, but he was collateral damage in the Karl-Anthony Towns deal this summer. All season, everyone has been piling on Randle for being the reason the Wolves have taken a step back from the Western Conference finalist they were a year ago, but he's only been there for 46 games. It takes time to develop chemistry.

It's not like Minnesota is a bad team, and it's not like Randle has suddenly turned into a bum. Is he the same player that made a couple of All-NBA teams in New York? No, but he's still putting up 18.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists, with a better effective field goal percentage than his career average.

Everyone seems to want Randle gone, and with his contract expiring at the end of the year, it makes sense for the Wolves to get what they can for him if they don't believe they can legitimately contend this year. From where I'm standing, they're far from out of it.

Minny has three straight wins, and they're only a game-and-a-half behind the Lakers. Trading Randle would be tantamount to waving a white flag on the season, so regardless of what future assets they're able to obtain from a potential deal, there's no doubt that this would benefit the Lakers this year. LeBron James is 40, so the present is all that matters right now. Send Randle packing and cross one more team off the list.