For years, December 15 has been an important date for basketball sickos. It marks the unofficial start of the NBA’s trade season and makes so many of those failed deals in the trade machine get the green
checkmark now.
The Lakers’ glaring needs on their roster will make them a frequent name in trade rumors, though that’s nearly always been the case. The sense of urgency that existed last season as the LeBron James-Anthony Davis championship window was slamming shut does not exist this season with a much younger core of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
But the Lakers have been active at the deadline in recent years. Will that continue this year? And who can be shipped out?
Here’s a primer for everything you need to know about the start of trade season.
What is the significance of December 15?
If you’re not a basketball sicko, then you may not know why Dec. 15 is an important day. Simply put, this is the day when free agents who signed with different teams in the offseason can be traded.
Trades could take place before this date, but a big chunk of the league was not trade-eligible before Dec. 15. Now, with few exceptions on each team, players can be dealt. This makes trade discussions much easier for teams.
For many franchises, Dec. 15 is a date they evaluate the team up to, determining the strengths and weaknesses before really diving into trade talks.
Which Lakers can be traded?
In short, almost all of them.
Two-way players aren’t ever traded in the NBA and the Lakers only have two players with trade restrictions on them. Outside of that, everyone else is trade-eligible.
Here’s the full list of who can be traded:
- Rui Hachimura
- Austin Reaves
- Jarred Vanderbilt
- Gabe Vincent
- Maxi Kleber
- Deandre Ayton
- Jake LaRavia
- Marcus Smart
- Dalton Knecht
- Jaxson Hayes
- Bronny James
- Adou Thiero
So then who can’t be traded?
Good question. If you’re a good observer, there’s two big names not on this list.
First, LeBron James is one of the few players in the NBA with a full no-trade clause. He has full power over whether he’ll be traded or not and it’s a very, very long shot he’ll want to be traded. Technically, LeBron can be traded, but only if he wants to.
Luka, meanwhile, can not be traded until Feb. 2, 2026, which is six months after he signed his extension. I would say it’s a guarantee he won’t be traded, but nothing feels off the table anymore.
When will the Lakers make a trade then?
This question doesn’t have a concrete answer. That being said, while most teams wait until right up to the trade deadline, the Lakers have shown a willingness to make a move before that.
Last season, they traded D’Angelo Russell for Dorian Finney-Smith in late December, months before the deadline. They traded for Rui Hachimura in late January, weeks before the deadline. Even the Luka trade came roughly a week before the deadline.
While that doesn’t give an answer to the question, it does show that, now that Dec. 15 has passed, the Lakers could make a deal seemingly at any time.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
