The Los Angeles Lakers seem to be stuck in the middle early on in the 2022-23 season. They have enough talent on their roster where they won't be the worst team in the league, but they don't have the right pieces that will allow them to make a true championship run. In order for things to change here, the team is going to have to decide whether they are a contender or a rebuilder.
Considering the fact that the Lakers are led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it seems like they are going to lean towards being a contender. James isn't getting any younger, and Davis is putting together an MVP-caliber season so far. You can't exactly justify rebuilding when you are led by two starts like that.
But for as good as James and Davis are, they aren't going to win a championship on their own. This team needs some serious reinforcements, and the best way to accomplish that is through making some trades. So with that in mind, let's take a look at a couple of early trade deadline predictions for Los Angeles and see what trades the team could try to make in order to get themselves back into the playoff conversation.
2. The Lakers trade away Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn
Dating back to the offseason, when the Lakers were desperately trying to move Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles has been embroiled in trade rumors. Whether it be unloading pieces in an effort to recoup some assets, or using their remaining assets to swing a blockbuster, there isn't really a trade rumor the Lakers haven't been mentioned in.
Despite the fact they are currently 11-16, it doesn't really seem like the Lakers are intent on rebuilding, and the front office believes that they can turn their current squad into a contender with just a few moves. Whether or not that is plausible remains to be seen, but the first part of that objective involves unloading some of their veteran pieces that just aren't contributing.
Right now, the two most likely trade candidates in Los Angeles seem to be Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn. Beverley has been horrible on offense so far this season, and Nunn hasn't managed to find his way into the rotation. Both guys could have value elsewhere, but right now, it doesn't seem like either of them have a role for the Lakers.
Beverley might be harder to move, despite the fact he has a bigger role than Nunn, because of how bad he's been offensively. He's barely shooting above 30 percent, and while he plays strong defense, that only gets you so far in this league. These guys could be packaged up or sent away in different deals, but it doesn't seem likely that they will be in Los Angeles past the trade deadline.
1. The Lakers bring Myles Turner on board
The problem that the Lakers are facing right now that many other teams are also facing is that they are relying way too much on their top two players in James and Davis. We have seen teams attempt to construct “superteams” led by two or three big stars with the rest of the roster just jumbled together, but it's becoming clear that in the superteam era, depth prevails.
The Lakers are a prime example of that. They managed to win the 2020 NBA Finals with James and Davis leading the way, but they had a very strong supporting cast that helped them out as well. All you have to do is look at the two top teams in the league right now in the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks and see that having stars is key, but it means nothing if there is no depth behind them.
That's a lengthy preamble to get into the Lakers main problem. They don't have any center depth behind Davis, who doesn't want to play center in the first place. Davis is taking a physical beating, and all you need to do is look at the Lakers' latest game, a 122-118 loss to the Celtics in overtime. Davis and James couldn't close the game because they had nothing left in the tank physically.
Taking the burden off of these guys is crucial, and the easiest way to do that is to swing a trade for Myles Turner. Turner has been linked to the Lakers for months, and even as the Indiana Pacers have had an unexpectedly strong start to the season, Turner seems receptive to being dealt to Los Angeles. Turner has been really good for the Pacers this season (17.6 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.5 APG, 2.3 BPG, 55.5 FG%, 43.2 3P%) and is exactly what the Lakers need on their team.
Getting Davis some help at center is crucial, and there isn't a better option for them right now than Turner. It will cost the Lakers a pretty penny, but if they want to contend now, adding Turner is the easiest way to accomplish that. L.A. is stuck in neutral right now, and if they want to actually put their car in drive and move forward, they need to add Turner to their roster.
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