This time last year, it was difficult to envision how the Los Angeles Lakers would recover from their disastrous trade for Russell Westbrook in 2021. But they have managed to overcome that ordeal with flying colors. Now, the Lakers, still led by the dynamic duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, have some solid depth at every position, which the signing of Christian Wood on a bargain-bin deal further reinforced.

At the moment, the Lakers now won't be feeling the need to add to their roster, as they appear to have pieces that fit quite well alongside LeBron and AD. They have some solid outside shooters (Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, D'Angelo Russell), defensively-versatile wings (Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt), and some quality frontcourt depth (Wood, Jaxson Hayes).

But as the old adage goes, complacency is the enemy of progress. There's always a roster spot to improve in the pursuit of a championship, especially when the goal is to overcome the reigning champion Denver Nuggets — a team that's primed to defend their title. So with the goal of improving the roster even further in mind, here are two trades the Lakers must pursue in the 2023-24 season.

(By no means should the Lakers pursue these trades as soon as possible. Of course, they must evaluate how their current roster performs and go from there. But these could be intriguing trade ideas for the team down the line.)

Kuzma for D-Lo, Part II

Lakers trade D'Angelo Russell, Cam Reddish, Maxwell Lewis, and two second-round picks to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma

It was a breath of fresh air for the Lakers when they re-acquired D'Angelo Russell last season in the Russell Westbrook trade. Russell was a quality floor-spacer, unlike Westbrook, and was a much better complement to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. At 6'4, Russell also had the size to keep up with bigger guards. But the 2023 playoffs was a disaster for Russell.

Russell had his fair share of rough shooting nights, and in the end, the Lakers decided to bench him with their season on the line against the Denver Nuggets. His decision to try and regain his shooting after defeats became something of a meme. Nevertheless, no one disputed the Lakers' decision to keep him in town on a two-year, $36 million deal, as it was better for the team to keep him rather than to lose him for nothing.

But with the signing of Gabe Vincent and the emergence of Austin Reaves, D'Angelo Russell's skillset may soon be surplus to requirements for the Lakers. With that in mind, perhaps the Lakers decide to trade him away for another familiar face in Kyle Kuzma.

It has been rumored for so long that Kuzma wants to return to the Lakers. But staying with the Wizards was the path he decided to take so he could earn as much as he could. Even then, it makes no sense for the Wizards to remain in the league's dreaded middle ground. Instead, they must be on the prowl for draft assets and young prospects. Trading away Kuzma helps in that regard.

Kyle Kuzma would then give the Lakers more size on the wing, another player who will be relentless on the boards as well as someone who could take on matchups against bigger wings. A lineup of Kuzma, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt may even be viable in spurts.

With Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James around to handle playmaking duties, with Kuzma able to do so in a pinch as well, the Lakers would do well to acquire the Wizards forward in this deal. Alas, this trade may end up being too cheap for the Wizards' liking.

Just bring back the old championship gang

Lakers acquire Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls for Jalen Hood-Schifino, Taurean Prince, and one second-round pick

It's important to note that the Lakers are high on Jalen Hood-Schifino, the player they took with the 17th overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. Hood-Schifino projects to be dynamite scoring presence the guard positions, especially if he figures out his outside shooting woes. But the goal for the Lakers, for as long as LeBron James is on the roster, is to fight for a championship.

On that note, it may not be the worst idea for the Lakers to re-acquire Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls, with Hood-Schifino heading to the Windy City in exchange. Caruso remains one of the best point of attack defenders in the league; imagining a defense with Caruso and Jarred Vanderbilt should already be suffocating to opposing teams.

With the Bulls going nowhere fast, it may be time for them to face the music soon, especially if they fall out of the playoff race like they did last season. Receiving a young prospect with a few years left in his rookie deal for a player who's better off plying his trade for a contender isn't a bad return at all.