Being the Los Angeles Lakers is a blessing and a curse. You get to be the most popular and talked about team in the league every single year (the blessing), but at the same time, the expectations are always sky-high (the curse). Every season is championship or bust. This offseason, the Lakers made a littany of moves to revamp their team. LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, Deandre Ayton, and Jaxson Hayes are gone, and in there place is Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Cameron Carr, Matisse Thybulle, Zaire Williams, Kevon Looney, and Jaden Hardy.
In the aggregate, I'd say the Lakers are a better team than they were last season. However, their roster is still missing a proven option at the power forward spot — one who can defend on the perimeter and provide some secondary rim protection while also being able to hold their own on the offensive side of the ball.
This probably isn't going to change before the start of the season. But as we saw in 2022-23, there is always an opportunity to use the regular seaosn to acquire the pieces you need for a deep postseason run. So, here are three trades the Lakers could make during the season to complete their team.
Trade No. 1: Reunite Luka Dončić with an old friend
The last time Luka Dončić made a deep run, he had P.J. Washington by his side. So, why not allow them to team up in Los Angeles? The Dallas Mavericks have a logjam in the frontcourt, and they are going to want to get off the veteran to give their young guys more time to flourish.
In this FanSpo hypothetical, the Lakers would get Washington from the Mavericks and Jericho Sims from the Milwaukee Bucks (the third team in this deal). In return, the Mavericks would get Jarred Vanderbilt, Kevin Porter Jr., a first round pick swap, and two second round picks. Jake LaRavia would go to the Bucks to make the money work.
Washington is exactly who the Lakers need to round out their starting five alongside Dončić, Austin Reaves, Kessler, and Grimes, and he's already got some built in chemistry with their best player. If the Mavericks and Bucks are game, this deal would be a no-brainer.
Trade No. 2: Star stopper comes to LA
It's been a long time since he's been a part of a good team, so many folks may have forgotten about how much he contributes to winning, but Herbert Jones is the kind of role player you want on a winning team.
Herbert Jones is one of the most complete defensive wings in the game. He's finished in the 86th percentile or higher in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus in each of the first five seasons of his career, and last year, he was in the 91st percentile in steal rate and the 56th percentile in block rate (per Dunks & Threes). He's managed those ranks while also being tasked with guarding the other team's best wing. Offensively, Jones is not as proven as someone like Washington, but he can hit an open three (he shot 41.8% from three in 2023-24), and he's not afraid to put the ball on the floor when he needs to.
One way the Lakers could get him is by trading Jarred Vanderbilt, two first round pick swaps, and a second round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans. Not a bad price to pay for a guy who is cost-controlled for the next four seasons.
Trade No. 3: Cross-town dealing
The Lakers need a forward and the Los Angeles Clippers need some draft capital, which makes these two teams the perfect trading partners.
This one would be another reunion for Dončić from his Finals run with the Dallas Mavericks. Here, the Lakers would trade LaRavia, Dalton Knecht, and three second-round picks to get Derrick Jones Jr.
Jones isn't as tantalizing of an option as Washington or Jones, but his strength, agility, and verticality do make him the right kind of defender to round out this starting five, and we already have enough proof that Dončić can set him up with enough high-value shots to keep him viable on offense.
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