Ranking the Lakers 3 biggest needs as the NBA Trade Deadline approaches

The Los Angeles Lakers made one of the earliest splashes of the NBA trade season when they traded for Dorian Finney-Smith just over two weeks ago. The former Brooklyn Net addressed L.A.'s need for a 3-and-D wing while allowing the team to part ways with D'Angelo Russell, who'd been out of the starting lineup for well over a month.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka isn't likely to stop there, as there's urgency given the fact that LeBron James is 40 years old and Anthony Davis is still operating at peak efficiency in his 13th year. This Lakers team has done an admirable job of hanging tough in the Western Conference standings in head coach JJ Redick's first year on the job, but there are still some glaring needs that need to be addressed if they are to give LeBron a chance at his fifth ring.

Today we're looking at what needs the Lakers have to address before the deadline on February 6th, and which players could potentially make good fits.

1. A big man to take some of the load off of AD

No disrespect to Jaxson Hayes or Christian Koloko, but they're basically replacement-level centers, leaving Anthony Davis as the only big on the roster who's capable of making a difference. The Lakers need someone who can help their bench unit gain some ground against some of the deeper teams in the West, and Davis needs somebody who can absorb the defensive workload under the basket so that he's free to help all over the court.

Davis has defied critics that have called him fragile throughout his career by being remarkably durable the last two seasons, but the heavyweight he has to carry on this team is bound to catch up to him eventually. Not only do the Lakers need to make the playoffs, they need to be able to make a run when they get there, and having a gassed AD is not the way to do that.

There are a number of big men that might be available at the deadline to solve L.A.'s problem, including Jonas Valanciunas, who's currently wasting away on the Wizards; Walker Kessler, who the Lakers might be able to pry away from the Jazz; and Robert Williams III, who's dealt with injuries and has been the odd man out in a crowded Portland frontcourt that includes Deandre Ayton and first-round pick Donovan Clingan.

2. A pass-first point guard to help LeBron and Austin Reaves run the offense

This one may seem confusing. Didn't the Lakers just trade De'Angelo Russell away? It's true that they did, but Russell wasn't a great fit on this team, so to be able to turn him into a 3-and-D guy like Finney-Smith was a win.

Even when Russell was still in town, his move to the bench meant that the ball was in LeBron's hands that much more, and just as Anthony Davis could use someone to help him shoulder the load, LeBron, the physiological marvel that he is, needs to be preserved as well.

Austin Reaves has stepped up his assist game since Russell has been gone, but if the Lakers could add one more ball-handler, it would open up the offense that much more. Not someone who looks to score as often as Russell did, but a real distributor who will make everyone around him better.

Who could the Lakers add that would fit the bill? If they wanted to go big, they could make a run at Trae Young. They could engineer a reunion with Lonzo Ball, who has played some promising minutes for Chicago since finally returning from almost three years' worth of injuries. Malcolm Brogdon of the Wizards could also make sense as an unselfish but efficient player with experience.

3. A knockdown shooter to spread the floor

Like it or not, the modern NBA is all about which team can knock down the most threes, and in that regard, the Lakers are still lacking. Despite being led by a coach who made his living as a three-point marksman, L.A. just hasn't been shooting the ball enough, or well enough, from outside to keep up with the rest of the league.

The Lakers are shooting 35.2 percent as a team from deep, which is good for 19th in the league. They're attempting the third-fewest threes though, and making the fifth-fewest. That needs to improve in order to keep up with teams like the Celtics, Wolves, Cavs and Grizzlies.

The hope was that Dalton Knecht would fill his role, but his shooting touch has eluded him for about a month and a half now. Knecht may find his rhythm in time, but the Lakers can't afford to wait and find out. An established sniper should be near the top of Rob Pelinka's wish list, especially if he can also get that pass-first point guard we mentioned.

It was surprising that the Lakers weren't also able to pry Cam Johnson from the Nets when they got Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, but perhaps the price was too rich for L.A.'s blood. It wouldn't hurt to return to the negotiating table to see if something could be hammered out between now and the deadline, though. Failing that, Zach LaVine is shooting 45 percent from three this year and has managed to stay healthy for the Bulls. Bradley Beal is persona non grata in Phoenix, but he can still knock down open looks. Both of those guys would need a third team to make the salary numbers work. Collin Sexton of the Jazz is shooting 42 percent, and his salary is a much more reasonable $18 million.