According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers are looking at many trade options, with the Hawks’ Dejounte Murray being the most sought-after.
Murray would provide the team with much-needed playmaking and quickness out of the backcourt. Murray is making $18.2 million this season before his four-year, $114 million agreement begins, which might bring an extra bonus. The Lakers could arrange a 2-for-1 deal and save money on their luxury tax burden in the process.
However, the Lakers continue to resist including Austin Reaves in a potential deal. The Hawks recently inquired about Reaves, according to McMenamin’s sources, who speculate that the Lakers would have to give up some combination of Rui Hachimura, a future first-round pick, Reaves or other young players to land Murray.
The Lakers don’t plan to pivot to the Bulls’ Zach Lavine, noting his hefty contract, injury issues and declining production. They could aim lower and pick up some bench pieces instead.
They’d like to add a quality backup guard with Gabe Vincent sidelined by a knee injury. The Jazz’s Collin Sexton and Wizards’ Tyus Jones have been discussed internally as potential targets.
They also have the Raptors’ Dennis Schroder and Bruce Brown on their radar. Schroder, who started 50 games for the Lakers last season, has seen his role diminish with the acquisition of Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. Brown, a defensive ace who was instrumental in Denver’s championship run, was acquired by Toronto in the Pascal Siakam deal.
Brown was the Lakers’ top target with their midlevel exception last summer, according to McMenamin, but Indiana blew them out of the water with a two-year, $45M offer.
The Nets’ Dorian Finney-Smith and Bulls’ Andre Drummond are two other players they’re considering to fill key postseason roles. Finney-Smith could guard elite wings, while Drummond would give them more size to combat an opponent such as Denver. They’re not particularly interested in the Hornets’ Miles Bridges, a potential alternative to Finney-Smith, because they wouldn’t hold his Bird Rights and Bridges would likely sign a more lucrative contract elsewhere in the summer.
If the Lakers choose not to make a trade or do only minor tinkering before the deadline, they could have more flexibility to acquire another star in the offseason such as the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell or Hawks’ Trae Young.
On the day of the draft, the Lakers’ pool of available first-rounders will grow to their picks in 2029, 2031 and either this year or 2025, depending on whether New Orleans chooses to use the pick LA owes it this June or the following summer.
The Lakers have discussed internally the possibility of packaging those three picks, along with players they already have on their books, to pursue that type of blockbuster.
