5 trade targets to help the Los Angeles Lakers chase a championship
By Dalton Sell
At 13-12 on the season, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves right in the middle of mediocrity. They sit at sixth place in the way too early Western Conference playoff picture.
It has been a tough start for the purple and gold, as the team has had to navigate through adversity early on. LeBron James has missed a good portion of the season with injuries (as well as what was later revealed to be a false-positive COVID-19 test), the addition of Russell Westbrook has brought aboard some growing pains, and the team is struggling to mesh with so many other new pieces in the mix.
Rumors have started swirling that head coach Frank Vogel’s job could even be on the line amidst this slow start. The Lakers simply have not looked like the team that many picked to come out of the Western Conference this season.
Will the Los Angeles Lakers look to turn their season around with trades?
Though the biggest factor to help the Lakers return to form could simply be their health, making some moves before the February trade deadline might also help the cause. The team is short on assets following the blockbuster move for Westbrook this past offseason, so the odds of landing another star are slim to none.
Still, it is not out of the question that Los Angeles could land a key piece to help them get back on the right track. A good chunk of the league will become eligible to be traded on December 15th, and the Lakers look like they will be working the phones once that dates finally passes.
With all that being said, let us take a closer look at five trade targets for the 2021-22 Lakers.