The Los Angeles Lakers' struggles aren't stopping after an 0-5 start. The flexibility is limited because of the hole they dug themselves, and there seems to be no answer for them to be a consistent contender in the next few years.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the two assets that have some sort of value in the market, the front office can decide to swing a deal for one of them. If Davis is available in the market, most franchises will inquire and possibly offer a substantial package that will entice the Lakers organization. Some deals could be completed, but let's have fun and elaborate on certain deals the LA will desire, but it will be insurmountable for them to do these trades.
Brooklyn Nets (Kyrie Irving)
The Brooklyn Nets are off to another abysmal start in their campaign. There was a ton of offseason turmoil surrounding their organization, such as Kevin Durant's trade demand and restructuring their roster to fit their nucleus.
One piece from that core is Kyrie Irving, and he could be a star who will fit in Los Angeles because of the previous history of playing with LeBron James. The problem is gaining his commitment to signing a long-term deal with the Lakers, so they will take that gigantic risk of adding Irving without a long-term contract.
Washington Wizards (Bradley Beal)
Having a secondary playmaker and scorer alongside LeBron James has been one of the consistent objectives of the Lakers. Adding Bradley Beal and pairing him with former teammate Russell Westbrook could be the considerable move that puts LA in play-in contention at the very least.
Bradley Beal is signed through 2026-27 in his current contract, so this is contrary to Irving as Beal will be in a Laker uniform for several years if this trade pushes through. The loyalty of Beal to the Wizards organization has been well documented, so this shift to a big market team may encounter significant roadblocks before it is completed.
Chicago Bulls (Zach LaVine)
Another pure and elite scorer who may fit in Los Angeles is Zach LaVine. Recently, he just signed a long-term extension with the franchise, but the other main guys of the Chicago Bulls are still not signed for the foreseeable future.
If the Bulls plummet down the East standings, the Lakers must have the initiative of inquiring about LaVine because his repertoire fits tremendously with a squad like the Lakers. His knee issues are similar to the injury-prone body of Davis, but if the Lakers are down and disappointed with Davis already, a contingency plan of having LaVine is still a definitive help to their team.
Phoenix Suns (Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges)
The No.1 team in the NBA last season is in the thick of things when a superstar is available on the market. The relationship between Deandre Ayton and the coaching staff will unlikely be the same after the issue that occurred in last year's playoffs.
With the lack of draft capital in LA, they will be able to receive a sufficient amount from the Suns because they still own their picks in the next few years. For Anthony Davis, he will fit tremendously with two ball-dominant guards in Chris Paul and Devin Booker as he tries to recuperate and become one of the best bigs in the league.
Minnesota Timberwolves (Karl Anthony-Towns)
Among all the five choices for the deals the Lakers may pursue, Karl Anthony-Towns is the least likely to occur, but it is one of the most intriguing ones. Towns have expressed his frustration with the diet of Anthony Edwards in the past week, and he seems to have some sort of trouble finding his role with Rudy Gobert now at the five for Minnesota.
There are possessions when Towns' talent is not maximized, but that will be less of a concern when he is with Los Angeles. For the Lakers, the benefit of having Towns instead of Davis is the durability of Towns is so much better, so he will be available for more games on a consistent basis.
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