The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make moves before the 2022-23 NBA trade deadline on Feb. 9. In the interim, unofficial trade season begins Thursday, when a crop of last summer's free agent signings become eligible to be dealt (the next wave hits on Jan. 15).
The Lakers (11-16) have shown recent signs of life — including close battles with top teams — but they're a long way from contender status. Rob Pelinka has been transparent about the franchise's motivations to repay LeBron James for signing an extension by seeking upgrades. (Last season, LeBron was displeased with the Lakers' inactivity.)
Heading into this season, the odds-on favorite for Laker To Be Traded was Russell Westbrook. His situation, on and off the court, felt untenable. Westbrook's $47.1 million expiring contract holds value. The Lakers shopped Russ for months and nearly sent him to the Indiana Pacers in September.
And yet, here were are in December and Westbrook doesn't seem to be going anywhere. And he shouldn't! He could still be exported, of course, but his newfound usefulness since moving to sixth man plus the dissolution of accompanying distractions render Russ (the basketball player+expiring contract) valuable enough to keep, especially considering the price (a first-round pick) of offloading him.
Instead, a more plausible path has emerged for the Lakers: offering a package featuring Kendrick Nunn, Patrick Beverley, and, preferably, either a protected 2027 or 2029 first-rounder. Depending on the return, this framework makes eminently more sense for Los Angeles.
Lakers player(s) who should be traded
Kendrick Nunn is the odd man out of the Lakers' guard-heavy rotation. He hasn't shaken off the rust after missing the 2021-22 season. He has been one of the worst players in the NBA: 5.3 points in 12.5 minutes per game on 35.9% shooting overall and 27.7% from 3. He has lost any feel for defense and shot creation. There's no use for him on this roster — and no longer time to allow him to find a groove.
Nunn is 27 and on a $5.3 million expiring contract. Rival teams can easily talk themselves into his reclamation in a less-pressurized environment, with more minutes, and facing crucial months before free agency. Take a flyer, grab a pick, and free the money if you don't want to retain him.
Beverley, due to his $13 million expiring deal, is an obvious trade candidate. Like Nunn, he has been a glaring weak link in the Lakers' backcourt rotation. Despite starting 21 games (26.5 MPG), he's averaging 4.6 points on 30.3% shooting and, more damagingly, 25.4% from 3-point range. New York Knicks wing Cam Reddish ($5.9M) — often linked to the Lakers — aligns with Nunn's salary.
If I had to choose one for the Lakers to part with, I'd take Nunn, only because he doesn't provide the defense nor intangibles of Beverley. Based on folks close to the team, Beverley is as vocal as anybody in the film room and helps Darvin Ham hold players accountable. His tenacity and outsized personality (occasionally bordering on self-parody) legitimately fire up his teammates.
The Lakers have looked at trade candidates like Kyle Kuzma ($13M) and Bojan Bogdanovic ($19.5M) for the Nunn/Beverley package. Those deals are home runs, as long as the outgoing first-round pick is somewhat protected.
Ultimately, the Lakers should be hunting to improve their role players and depth — not banking on a third “star” (i.e. DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, John Collins, Bradley Beal). Because of Russ' cap figure, any trade including Westbrook would almost necessitate a star — or an ostensible star, in terms of salary — in return (the Myles/Buddy ship seems to have sailed, while adding Nikola Vucevic in a DeRozan deal would mitigate Anthony Davis' dominance this season as a full-time center.)
My advice to the Lakers, FWIW: Just keep it (relatively) simple. Trade the two guys who hold value but whom you don't need (Pat Bev and Nunn), attach a lightly protected first-rounder, and find a large wing, preferably a dude who can shoot. Definitely not easier said than done.
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