NBA executives weigh in on Lakers trading plans

The Los Angeles Lakers got off to another rocky start to this NBA season, coming out of the gates with a 2-10 record. However, things are starting to change as they find their way with new head coach Darvin Ham as they have since gone 9-6 to hunt again in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles is just 2.5 games away from a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament and 3.5 games away from sixth place in the Western Conference, avoiding the Play-In. Health will always be of paramount importance to Los Angeles as all their hopes depend on LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

James has already missed seven games with various ailments, most notably a sore ankle. He is showing some signs of wear and tear as this would be the least efficient shooting season of his career aside from his rookie season. His averages of 26.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.2 steals are still impressive, but Davis has been the star of this show.

Davis is having an MVP-caliber season. He has only missed three games and that has always been the only thing holding him back. Davis leads the Lakers with 28.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.2 blocks per game for 2.7 assists.

He’s been one of the best players in the NBA this season, but whether or not the Lakers will go all in to upgrade the roster around their superstar players is up for debate. Some of the league’s executives have spoken Michael Scotto from HoopsHypeand they believe the Lakers will hold their ground and play things out.

“While a combination of Rob Pelinka, Myles Turner and Buddy Hield are trending topics on Twitter after every Lakers loss, many rival executives think the acquisition of either player will not make Los Angeles a contender in the West. Some executives believe the Lakers will endure and sit out the Westbrook experiment if he continues to produce off the bench.

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Westbrook has played better coming off the bench, but he is also having the least efficient shooting season of his career since his rookie campaign. If a team comes for Westbrook, Los Angeles will think long and hard about making a deal to take advantage of how well Davis is playing.

Teams are all inquiring about the first round picks in 2027 and 2029 the Lakers have as Los Angeles has reportedly offered a future first, with protection, to the Detroit Pistons for Bojan Bogdanovic, but the Pistons want an unprotected first round. Despite the high asking price, Rob Pelinka has to take a step.

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There’s no point in doing what Davis is doing and wasting another year of James’ career saving draft picks for players who aren’t even out of high school yet. While players like Buddy Hield and Myles Turner may not make the Lakers contenders, they should at least try to make a move to improve this roster.