5 Lakers trade targets who would satisfy Rob Pelinka's reported wish list

Overall, it's hard to complain too much about the Los Angeles Lakers' first few months under JJ Redick. There have been bumps in the road, of course, but the majority of LA's problems are rooted in personnel, not what Redick has done with the hand dealt to him. If anybody in the Lakers organization deserves to feel the heat, it's Rob Pelinka.

The Lakers' so-called GM spent his summer in a slumber, doing next to nothing to build out the roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. A 17-13 record is nothing to scoff at in the rough-and-tumble West, but the Lakers are pretty clearly a few tiers below OKC and other top-shelf contenders, like Boston or Cleveland. Los Angeles is a marquee destination with marquee talent on the roster, but Pelinka continues to squander opportunities to take advantage of the Lakers' inherent cachet.

Right now, Los Angeles is sitting on three tradable first-round picks and a ticking clock. LeBron has maybe another year left in the tank after this. His career is rapidly approaching its final destination. The Lakers only have so much time left to maximize what's left of this championship-winning core. Pelinka is understandably focused on building for the future, as he should be, but the front office's complete neglect of the present is a disservice to basketball fans the world over. LeBron deserves to go out with a fight.

So, when the latest reporting from ESPN's Shams Charania hinted at LA's willingness to trade its first-round picks, fans naturally perked up a bit. Is Pelinka finally about to swing the major, franchise-redefining trade Lakers fans want?

Maybe, if certain conditions are met.

Pelinka wants a player (or players) that can "get into this iteration" of the Lakers and also contribute five-plus years down the line. In short, he's looking for young-ish contributors with a long runway to impact winning — preferably on an affordable, team-controlled contract, if Pelinka had his way.

You can get a lot with three first-round picks, and the Lakers have a few intriguing trade chips on the roster, such as Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht, or even the expiring contract of D'Angelo Russell.

Here are a few worthwhile targets who fit Pelinka's criteria.

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5. Walker Kessler gives the Lakers much-needed frontcourt reinforcements

Utah Jazz 7-footer Walker Kessler has seen his name pop up in trade rumors since the summer. It's unclear why the Jazz would trade away a 23-year-old with DPOY upside, but everybody has a price in the NBA. Utah wants to get worse and add future picks. If the Lakers can throw a quality, lightly protected first-round pick at the Jazz, one has to think Kessler is attainable.

The benefits would be immense. Anthony Davis is a center, no matter how hard he tries to convince us he's a power forward, but the Lakers' backup situation has been dire all season. Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood are both hurt on indefinite timelines, and neither is all that impactful at full strength, to be honest. The current oscillation between small-ball and the occasional Christian Koloko stint isn't getting the Lakers anywhere.

Kessler is limited offensively, but he's going to set monster screens and finish lobs at the rim. On defense, he's one of the best rim protectors in the sport, averaging 2.9 blocks in 29.4 minutes. Kessler can dominate in drop coverage and move his feet adequately in space as needed. The Lakers' defense has fallen short of expectations all season. Kessler can have a profound impact, even in a bench role. He ought to share the floor with Davis occasionally as well, even if Davis is, again, a center.

4. Lakers can pry Anfernee Simons away from guard-heavy Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers famously have too many guards. That feels less like an issue now than it has in years past — especially if you're skeptical of Scoot Henderson's development — but there's a chance that Portland decides to move on from Anfernee Simons in the penultimate year of his contract. He isn't exactly ancient at 25, but Simons (and his next contract) might not align with what's shaping up to be a long and patient rebuild in Portland.

Simons tends to fly under the radar in a small market, but he'd quickly earn legions of loyal supports in purple and gold. It has been a choppy start to the season for Simons, but he's a quick-twitch scorer who continues to make strides with his passing and defense. That's not to say Simons will ever be a positive defender, or even a natural point guard, but he's setting the table for Portland's offense and scoring in bunches, per usual.

Odds are Simons would look much better in LA, with a streamlined role and a less challenging shot diet. Far be it from me to complain about Simons' dazzling self-creation flourishes, but he's probably more efficient spotting up from 3-point range and attacking rotating defenses off the catch. LeBron can still generate clean looks for his teammates and Davis' gravity in the paint ought to create new scoring avenues for Simons, even if he takes more of a backseat on a winning team.

3. Jonathan Kuminga offers plenty of long-term potential for Lakers

The Golden State Warriors are eager to add star-power, which probably comes at the expense of Jonathan Kuminga. This isn't to say Los Angeles can hand the Warriors a star — apologies to the LeBron-Steph dreamers — but the Lakers can hand Golden State a first-round pick or two, perhaps a young piece, and more flexibility for future dealings. Not every team dealing with Golden State is going to want to extend Kuminga; flipping him for more tradable picks is a logical alternative.

Los Angeles does not have a pressing need for a player in Kuminga's mold. He's a middling 3-point shooter at best, with a game oriented around straight-line drives, power finishes, and the occasional mid-range flourish. Kuminga's passing chops and general floor processing still have a ways to go, and the defense is more theoretical than actual right now.

Still, it's hard to find 6-foot-8 athletes of Kuminga's caliber. His strength, quickness, and coordination suggest legitimate star upside, and he's still just 22 years old in his fourth NBA season. Frankly, there are parallels with Rui Hachimura, whose game was immediately elevated to the next level upon his arrival in LA. Maybe the Lakers can chart a similar success story with Kuminga, whose ceiling is much higher.

2. A Brandon Ingram reunion isn't the worst idea for the Lakers

Look... is anybody excited by the prospect of trading for Brandon Ingram? Probably not, given the muted nature of his trade market to date. As the New Orleans Pelicans toil near the bottom of the standings, however, one has to imagine Ingram is as good as gone. He's a free agent next summer and there's no reason to believe the Pelicans want to extend him.

That's where his former team comes into play. The Lakers famously traded Ingram as part of the original Anthony Davis return package. Now the former No. 2 pick can come home, probably for less than he's worth due to contract uncertainty and the general stench enveloping the Pelicans organization. Ingram, for all his faults, is a 6-foot-9 wing with bonafide playmaking chops and a dependable 3-point stroke.

An All-Star and just 27 years old, Ingram has a long prime window ahead of him. He's averaging 22.2 points and 5.8 assists on 56.0 percent true shooting in less than ideal circumstances. His season has been temporarily derailed by a severe ankle sprain, but once he's back, Ingram is the sort of third star who can remove pressure from LeBron, while also benefitting from the stability Los Angeles offers in comparison to New Orleans.

1. De'Aaron Fox is the pipe dream for Lakers fans

The Sacramento Kings would be hard-pressed to trade their franchise cornerstone within the division, especially to the Lakers, but De'Aaron Fox is clearly growing impatient with the stagnation in Sacramento. That is a talented team going nowhere fast, and Fox is in the penultimate year of his contract, which gives him plenty of leverage in a hypothetical trade request.

Fox has not submitted an official request yet, but the Kings just fired their head coach and the vibes are at an all-time low. Expect Sacramento to make every effort to appease Fox, but if this downward spiral continues for another month, the 27-year-old might end up in trade talks. Los Angeles has already been reported as a potential destination, with the Klutch Sports connection feeling particularly noteworthy in this case.

If the Lakers are willing to bite the bullet on trading all three available first-round picks, plus Dalton Knecht and the requisite salary filler, Fox would make for an excellent third star. We've long wondered how this Lakers offense would look with a legitimate point guard next to LeBron. Fox can actually collapse a defense, elevate teammates, and set the table in non-LeBron minutes. I am skeptical of the Lakers winning a competitive bidding war, but Fox could demand a trade to LA and really try to force Sacramento's hand.