Trade deadline preparations for Lakers: What are their biggest needs?

The Los Angeles Lakers are in NBA limbo right now. They're too good to tank for Cooper Flagg, but not good enough as presently constructed to challenge for a title. The NBA trade deadline isn't until Feb. 6, but in the crucible of the Western Conference, there's no time like the present. The advanced age of LeBron James means the clock is ticking — they need to make a move.

The Lakers are a flawed team in a number of ways, but a new lease on life is just a phone call away. General manager Rob Pelinka should look no further than to L.A.'s longtime blood rival, the Boston Celtics, to see how transformative a trade can be. Boston won the title last year after years of falling short, thanks in large part to the additions of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, both of whom president of basketball operations Brad Stevens acquired via trade.

The Lakers do have some tradeable contracts, including but not limited to D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves. While it may not be possible to address every area of need, it's not inconceivable that Pelinka could fortify his team in a number of areas. When you have LeBron James and Anthony Davis already on the team, plugging a couple of holes could be enough to give the Lakers a puncher's chance.

Pelinka will need some willing trade partners first, but he'll also have to make some tough decisions on what he should prioritize. Here are the three areas where the Lakers need the most help.

The Lakers desperately need to be better on defense

The Lakers can't stop anybody, and it's a problem. Only six teams in the league have a worse defensive rating, but it isn't a coaching issue. This is a team that is rife with poor defenders.

LeBron, Reaves, Russell and Dalton Knecht all offer next to nothing on the defensive end. That's not good when one of them is on the court, but it's impossible to ignore when three of them are playing at once, as is so often the case.

Anthony Davis is a great defender, but he can't do it all by himself. That's why the Lakers need to add a defensive stopper or two, and they don't even have to be picky about what position their prospective trade target plays because they need help all over the court. The Grizzlies' Marcus Smart would be a great addition to the backcourt with his toughness and physicality, while the Jazz's Walker Kessler would seriously beef up L.A.'s rim protection.

It wasn't that long ago that the Lakers had one of the best defenses in the league, but they made a conscious decision to let players like Alex Caruso and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope go. It's time to get back to getting stops.

The Lakers need more shooters

The NBA has become a 3-point shooting league, and the Lakers just don't have enough of it. JJ Redick has dragged L.A. out of the league's 3-point shooting cellar, but they have a long way to go.

Gabe Vincent and Max Christie are offensive liabilities. Neither one is shooting above 25 percent from deep, and LeBron has fallen off a cliff in that department recently, too, with 19 straight misses over his last four games.

The best teams in the league are the teams that can shoot the best from outside. It sounds simple, but it's true. Three points is worth more than two, and right now, the Lakers are losing the numbers game. Not to use the Celtics as an example again, but Boston is making more than seven more 3s a game than the Lakers are. The Lakers make more free throws than any team in the league, but that's still a huge mountain to overcome.

There could be some great shooters available in the trade market, from Cam Johnson of the Nets to Malik Beasley of the Pistons to Duncan Robinson of the Heat. Pelinka needs to add at least one to make the Lakers more of an outside threat.

The Lakers need a reliable point guard

LeBron's durability is one of the modern wonders of the world, but he appears to be hitting a wall. In addition to his aforementioned shooting woes, he's turning the ball over at an obscene pace lately, and it may have to do with how much is being put on his plate.

D'Angelo Russell began the season as the starting point guard, but he's played more of a bench role lately. Whether he ends up being traded or not, it's clear that Redick doesn't trust him to be a major contributor, which means that outside help will be needed to lighten the load on LeBron.

LeBron stated earlier this year that he planned to play in all 82 games this season. In this era of load management, that's an admirable goal, but it may not be a smart move, as Redick pointed out after LeBron struggled again in a blowout loss to the Wolves on Monday. "I don't know that's in the best interest of him and us if he does that, but if he's feeling well and feeling good, then he should play," Redick said.

LeBron has created unrealistic expectations for himself over years of going beyond what anyone thought possible. At some point though, everybody slows down, even the King himself.

The West is a point guard's paradise, and the Lakers are really putting themselves behind the 8-ball by not being competitive at the position. While there likely won't be stars available, adding someone like the Jazz's Collin Sexton, the Bulls' Lonzo Ball, or the Wizards' Malcolm Brogdon could really help.