LeBron James and Anthony Davis may be perennial All-Stars, but even they can’t save the Los Angeles Lakers right now. A strong start has deteriorated into a dismal last 10-game stretch, with the Purple and Gold sitting at the 10th spot with a 14-12 record. To add insult to injury, even Lakers legend Magic Johnson doesn’t think the team has what it takes to compete and is tormented by their overall lack of talent.
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Johnson’s major concern lies in the team’s roster depth. Speaking on the same while on the ‘Speak’ show, he claimed that despite James and Davis’ exceptional performances, the Lakers are being bogged down by the lack of a clear third star. The 5x NBA champion claimed that players like Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura are wildly inconsistent, and if the team wants to be competitive again, they’d need a bona fide 20 ppg scorer to take that mantle from them.
Reaves, who’s averaging a career-high 17 ppg, has been the Lakers’ go-to third option for the last couple of years, but even then his inconsistencies were clear to see. Hachimura, who has become a more dependable option under the offensive-minded JJ Redick, is still not at the level for a team that wishes to compete in the Western Conference.
Johnson said: “The west is stacked. LeBron is playing at a high level. AD, he’s been dominating. What we need, the role players gotta step up. We gotta get somebody who can be a consistent third scorer. That’s what’s missing. One day Austin is playing great, maybe for a couple games, but then he falls off. Rui, will step up, and then not be consistent.”
Magic also added that despite his health and longevity, the way the Lakers have used LeBron James is not a good sign. Almost a week away from his 40th birthday, James is still the offensive hub for the team, and when things get close in the clutch, he’s the first player they turn to. He claimed that players like D’Angelo Russell need to step up, and more importantly, show some desire to win.
Speaking of the back-to-back blowouts to Minnesota and Miami, Magic claimed that they showed the team lacked effort.
“And we making LeBron play too hard. You can’t play too hard at his age. So we need D’Angelo Russell to step up as well. And so we’re having problems with just being inconsistent, and they make me mad man. When we played Minnesota in Minnesota and then we turned around and Miami blew us out, and the way our effort, that’s not Laker basketball.”
With an important stretch of games leading up to the New Year, the Lakers will want to be closer to the top 4 than the bottom. Reports, albeit unconfirmed, have emerged about the Lakers willing to shake up their entire roster bar their two superstars, but who can they trade for, and who will they have to give up?
The Lakers’ potential trade options
With their perimeter defense one of the worst in the league, the Lakers would do well to target a solid wing defender. Herb Jones comes to mind, with the Pelicans languishing at the bottom of the West, and multiple reports indicating that teams have already enquired about his availability.
Jones made the All-Defensive First Team last year and was the only non-big to make it. His perimeter defense is among the best in the League, and he’d be a tremendous fit for the Lakers, but given his caliber, he’s more likely to go to a contender than a team barely above the .500 mark.
The Lakers have also made multiple attempts to land Walker Kessler, a true big man who’d allow Anthony Davis to play his favored position at the 4. The Jazz don’t have a lot of guard depth, so a trade package around D’Angelo Russell and a few draft picks could entice them to part ways with their 7-foot shot blocker.
Additionally, Zach LaVine has always been a perennial trade target for the LA side, and his 2-way abilities are much needed for the Lakers. However, the Chicago Bulls are 9th in the East and finally have a relatively healthy roster for the first time in a long time. They might not be eager to blow it up and will want to stick by their group and see how far they can make it.
