Los Angeles Lakers fans must be used to the annual NBA trade deadline drama at this point now that they're six years deep into the LeBron James experience. Less than two days remain before the clock strikes 3 PM ET on February 8th, which will signal that teams are no longer able to do business with each other for the rest of the season. The trade deadline is getting closer. LeBron James already posted his annual cryptic tweet before the deadline. Lakers fans must be in for a fun ride over the next couple of days.

Los Angeles (27-25) currently finds itself at 9th in the Western Conference standings, just a game behind the 8th seed. The Lakers are highly expected to make a move amidst their struggles this season. The list of names linked to the Lakers is too long to note down, but it will be interesting to see just what direction Rob Pelinka will take to upgrade this roster.

It also doesn't help that Jarred Vanderbilt could potentially be out for the remainder of the season because of a foot injury. His injury certainly complicates Los Angeles' situation and could impact the way the front office approaches this trade deadline.

Regardless, all efforts from Pelinka should focus on maximizing the remainder of James' career. As much as The King has defied Father Time, his time in the NBA gradually nearing its end. The Lakers should do everything they can to give James and Anthony Davis the best cast to win immediately. With that said, Los Angeles must pull out all the stops before February 8th.

Here are the best trades the Lakers must make at the 2024 NBA trade deadline.

Trade with the Atlanta Hawks for Dejounte Murray

Dejounte Murray and the Lakers have basically been intertwined at this year's trade deadline. The Atlanta Hawks have been actively shopping Murray for quite a while now and are ready to split him and Trae Young up.

They have reportedly touched based with the Lakers on a potential deal involving the All-Star guard. However, the Hawks and Lakers so far have failed to come up with a price point that both teams can agree on.

Murray would ideally solve a lot of the Lakers' current issues with his ability to play both sides of the floor. The Lakers need another playmaker aside from the 39-year-old James and the Hawks guard is capable of creating shots both for himself and for his teammates. On the season, Murray is averaging 21.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists to go along with 46.6/37.0/83.4 shooting splits.

Murray's defense has tapered off over the last couple of years. But that's more of a result of Atlanta's weak team defense overall. As a member of the San Antonio Spurs, Murray made the All-Defensive First Team back in 2017-18. He is still a pesky and sticky point-of-attack defender whom the Lakers could use to shore up some of their defensive deficiencies.

However, Atlanta reportedly has no interest in acquiring D'Angelo Russell in a trade for Murray. Russell has been the most mentioned Laker in the rumor mill. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is trying its best to exclude Austin Reaves in any potential deal. There are still plenty of things that could change ahead of the deadline and surely, Rob Pelinka will keep on trying until the clock strikes 3PM ET on Thursday to iron out a trade that would land the Hawks guard in Los Angeles.

Trade with the Chicago Bulls

Like the Hawks, the Bulls are in position to sell at the trade deadline since their current core's championship window is essentially close to shutting. However, Zach LaVine's season-ending injury has reportedly changed their plans ahead of the deadline. The Bulls are reportedly no longer looking to blow it up, which means DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Alex Caruso will stay in Chicago past Thursday afternoon. Likewise, with their recent surge, the Bulls are still looking to make a push for the postseason. Nonetheless, a lot could happen within the next 24+ hours.

The Lakers were also targeting LaVine before, but obviously, he is no longer in the picture. Enter another the other Bulls All-Star DeMar DeRozan. Apart from their playoff aspirations this year, the Bulls should focus on trying to get a deal done for the 6-time All-Star. He will become an unrestricted free agent and could potentially leave Chicago this summer to join a contender.

Like Murray, DeRozan would address a lot of Los Angeles' needs offensively as a secondary creator beside James. Throughout his career, DeRozan has turned into a well-rounded offensive talent who can both create for himself and his teammates.

The Lakers could send a package centered around D'Angelo Russell and Gabe Vincent's salaries, and include their youngsters Max Christie and Jalen Hood-Schifino to acquire the Compton, California native.