The Los Angeles Lakers have been uncharacteristically quiet this summer, with them being the only team in the NBA to not sign a player in free agency. That has led to pessimism among Lakers fans, who have no reason to expect them to be better than the seventh seed they were last season. That might be their ceiling, but they may be much lower with several teams behind them in the standings getting better over the summer.
The Memphis Grizzlies were the second seed in the Western Conference back in 2022-2023 before missing the playoffs last season. They could return to the top of the Western Conference next season, while teams such as the San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, and Houston Rockets could also challenge for the playoffs.
If even two of those four teams get off to a strong start and the Lakers are merely as good as they were last year, then they might be in serious trouble. The same can be said for the Golden State Warriors, who, despite their best efforts to dramatically improve, only got marginally better.
Next, we will take a look at a potential blockbuster deal that would only happen if the Lakers found themselves outside of playoff contention.
Grade the Trade: Warriors land superstar in mock deal if Lakers stumble out of the gate.
If the Lakers find themselves far outside of the playoff race ahead of the trade deadline, a potential trade involving them and the Warriors might make sense. The Lakers and Warriors did discuss a trade involving superstar LeBron James last season but it didn't seem to get far.
In this scenario, Los Angeles has no hope of getting better during the season and LeBron gets restless and forces them to trade him rather than risk missing the playoffs during what could be his final season in the NBA.
That might mean a trade to the Warriors, where he would be paired with fellow superstar and Olympic teammate Steph Curry. The proposed deal would send Gary Payton II, Kevin Looney, and Andrew Wiggins, an unprotected first-round pick in 2026, and a top-10 protected first-round pick in 2028, to the Lakers in exchange for both LeBron and Bronny James.
Although that deal isn't fair value for LeBron, it would be hard to find that in a trade, and if he were to demand a trade to Golden State, then this might be the most realistic package they'd offer. While Payton II and Looney wouldn't factor in long-term for Los Angeles, Wiggins may be a serviceable stopgap. Obviously, he wouldn't replace LeBron, but he might potentially repair his trade value and be moved later on.
Getting two firsts for a 38-year-old player, albeit LeBron, would be good since the Lakers only have a few tradeable picks. For the Warriors, pairing him with Curry would be a no-brainer and potentially propel them back into title contention for the rest of next season and possibly 2025-26 if LeBron doesn't retire.
The deal makes sense for Golden State and possibly only for the Lakers if they are out of playoff contention. Up next, we'll see just how realistic the deal is for the Warriors and if there is a scenario in which the Lakers would give up LeBron next season.
Grade the Trade: Would the Warriors agree to the trade?
The Warriors tried to land Paul George and Lauri Markannen this summer but came up short. Instead, they were forced to pivot to stock up on options such as Kyle Anderson, De'Anthony Milton, and Buddy Hield.
If the Lakers struggle early on and the Warriors can stay in the playoff race, then they would be an attractive landing spot for LeBron. Curry and LeBron have been rivals since 2015. However, after their Olympic pairing, it might be more likely that they'd pair up but only if the Lakers aren't in play-in tournament contention by the trade deadline. In that case, then offering Looney, Payton II, Wiggins, and two firsts would be the ideal trade package for them.
Looney and Payton II aren't major parts of the Warriors and are on expiring contracts worth $17 million. Add in Wiggins, who has two years remaining and they'd be able to match salary. Giving up a first and a top-10 protected first would be more than worth it to swap out an average starting wing for an all-time great. This is especially true if they can get a season and a half of LeBron and Curry together.
That may also coincide with Draymond Green's retirement, allowing the Warriors to reset around Curry and young players such as Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga. It makes too much sense for Golden State but how about the Lakers?
Trade Grade: A+
Grade the Trade: Would the Lakers agree to the trade?
Having LeBron demand a trade mid-season would be a bad look for Los Angeles but they could salvage that situation by getting the best possible return for their best player. Looney and Payton II would be the salary fillers that would make a trade possible, while Wiggins would only have a season and a half left on his contract, giving them options.
Add in two firsts and a recent lottery pick in Moody, who projects to be a starting three-and-d guard and it would probably be the best they can do. They could conceivably package Wiggins, both firsts, along with another pick to try and pair Anthony Davis with another star in the summer of 2025, with Trae Young being a possible target.
The potential is there for the Lakers to pivot quickly in this scenario but when do they do it? It's not uncommon for veteran teams outside of playoff contention to have a fire sale ahead of the trade deadline and if Lebron wants out, then they would probably oblige him. Them not getting equal value is a given, but they'd get a young prospect, two firsts, and a stop-gap starter who can be salary filler in a trade, which is a good return nonetheless.
Trade Grade: B-
Ultimately, the Lakers should be in the mix for the playoffs but the back half of the West will probably be far better next season. After failing to improve over the summer, the Lakers have less margin for error and if they stumble, then the Warriors trade package would make sense.