The case for the Los Angeles Lakers to keep roster intact at deadline

Final thoughts

With all this being said, I am smart enough to know that landing Paul George makes you a more attractive destination for free agents. I said the Lakers should pursue him heavily in the summer and see what happens. But I am not on board with placing all my eggs in that basket by trading young players away for cap space.

Last year’s trade of D’Angelo Russell for Brook Lopez and first round pick is a different situation than dealing Randle or Clarkson. The Lakers were locked in on selecting Lonzo and rightfully didn’t see the on-court fit between them. There’s no incoming guard or forward via the draft this time around, and I don’t see a team relinquishing a first-rounder or any asset either of the two.

Unless Randle has made it known he doesn’t want the Lakers to match offers in his restricted free agency, I see no reason why he won’t be a trade asset after the season. The Lakers could find their trade partner around the draft, or strike a sign-and-trade deal for Randle, or pursue a number of options to part ways with the big man if they choose to.

I know it’s looking like another season without postseason basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers, but keeping the whole team together until after the season is best for the franchise. It allows them to see if OKC and George make a deep postseason run, which would hurt their chances of nabbing him, along with providing a larger sample size to evaluate the Lakers’ youth.

Next: 2017-18 Week 15 NBA Power Rankings

The Lakers have some promising players on their roster and the team genuinely seems to enjoy playing with one another. I’d like to see these players improve together and build their own winning culture for the Los Angeles Lakers.