The Lakers always find themselves near the center of trade rumors regardless of the state of the team or the situation.
This year, there’s plenty of reason for them to be surrounded by rumors. A flawed roster and a competitive Western Conference have upped the pressure on the Lakers to make a move.
Will that pressure lead to a trade actually being made? It feels unlikely, both because of a lack of trade assets and a barren market. And with two targets in Keon Ellis and De’Andre Hunter already being dealt,
it slimmed the market even more.
So, let’s dive into the latest updates on those available, unavailable and the expectations of the Lakers in coming days.
Backing off De’Andre Hunter
The Lakers were involved, to some degree, with Hunter before he was dealt to the Kings in a truly confounding move. The interest may have been real at the start, but once the asking price was revealed, the Lakers backed away.
On Monday, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints revealed that the trade package of Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht in which the Cavs were asking for was too much without getting more in return.
The Lakers had been going back and forth on a package that would’ve involved Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht being traded for Hunter. The idea of including at least one other team had come up in discussions between the Cavs and Lakers, with the Brooklyn Nets being mentioned by league sources as a team willing to take on salary for draft picks.
Although the Lakers did hold a level of interest in Hunter’s skills as a 3-and-D wing, the idea of flipping Hachimura and Knecht for him without receiving any additional assets or draft compensation for the final year of Hunter’s contract was viewed as a negative. This resulted in Los Angeles taking a step back in discussions with Cleveland.
There were rumors of the Lakers being interested in the Nic Claxton of the Nets, so perhaps a framework of a deal that saw them get Hunter and Claxton is something they were seeking. However, with Brooklyn ultimately not being involved in the deal, it appears there wasn’t much traction there with Cleveland or the Nets.
No traction on Andrew Wiggins
Over the summer, Andrew Wiggins was someone connected with the Lakers, though a deal never felt particularly close. However, with the Lakers not having anything more appealing to offer and the Heat eyeing a Giannis Antetokounmpo deal, Siegel also reported that nothing is close.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference, the Lakers are now pressed for time to find a key wing upgrade before the trade deadline, now that Keon Ellis and De’Andre Hunter are off the table. Where do the Lakers go from here with all of their expiring salaries?
Despite continued interest in Andrew Wiggins, the Heat don’t appear to have interest in anything the Lakers have offered.
There is a small possibility the Lakers could get involved in a Heat-Bucks deal for Giannis that re-routes Wiggins to LA, but it would likely require a first rounder, which doesn’t feel likely.
Asking price for Naji Marshall
The last name mentioned by Siegel is yet another player previously linked to the Lakers…and Luka Dončić, for that matter. Naji Marshall is a player who has excelled in Dallas and, at least originally, alongside Luka. Naturally, he makes sense alongside Luka in Los Angeles, but the Mavs have a high asking price for him, according to Siegel.
Naji Marshall is another player being linked to Los Angeles, among other playoff contenders, but Dallas has held a high asking price of a first-round pick for the 28-year-old wing. The Mavs don’t appear eager to trade Marshall over the likes of Gafford, Thompson, and others.
Everyone sure loves to seek out first round picks for everything. At least with Marshall, it makes a bit of sense as he’s guaranteed for a relatively low salary next season, too. But not everyone is worth a first round pick, guys.
Unlikely to make a move
Taking all that into account, it’s probably not a surprise that the belief is the Lakers will do nothing. On Monday morning, Brian Windhorst of ESPN spoke on “Get Up!” about the team’s current negotiations (h/t The Lakers Review/Twitter).
“The trade talks that they have had have largely been offering their expiring contracts. They haven’t been willing to include much of future draft picks or taking on future money. They are basically spinning their wheels waiting to rebuild this team around Luka Dončić.”
Prior to that, he gave his own thoughts on what he expects the team to do at the trade deadline, which is not much.
“I don’t think so because I think you really look and read what the Lakers have actually done over the last months, they’ve been leaning towards retrofitting their team in the summer of 2026…That is when they will get access to three first round picks to trade. Right now, they’re only permitted to trade one.”
Having said all that, this front office is very insulated and, traditionally, very quiet about its actual intentions. Sometimes that results in a shocking trade like Luka, but often that’s meant the team quietly does nothing.
We’re just days away from finding out which way it goes this season.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
