The Los Angeles Lakers remain one of the biggest players on the trade market with a few hours to go before the deadline. Astronomical expectations always come with being a LeBron James-led team, and at present, the Lakers have fallen way short of expectations. As a result, the Lakers are expected to be one of the most active teams on the trade front to try and bolster the team's core and engineer a turnaround for the second consecutive season.
Now, the Lakers have been linked to nearly everyone on the trade market, with Dejounte Murray and Bruce Brown among the targets that make the most sense for the Purple and Gold. But it seems as though the Lakers will be targeting a deal with the Brooklyn Nets that improves the team's depth instead of consolidating talent for a third star to put alongside James and Anthony Davis.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Lakers are reportedly targeting Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie, as they offer the “most intrigue” to the LA brass. But the Lakers are casting a wide net, as they are also apparently interested in Royce O'Neale.
Fischer also added that there's a chance that the Lakers bring back 2023 playoff cult hero Lonnie Walker IV, who, as fans wouldn't soon forget, put in a performance of a lifetime in Game 4 of the second round against the Golden State Warriors.
It's not quite clear what the Lakers can offer the Nets for those aforementioned players that doesn't include them gutting the roster. Finney-Smith, Dinwiddie, and O'Neale have a combined cap hit of nearly $44 million, which would then necessitate the inclusion of three of D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and Gabe Vincent in any prospective deal.
Of course, their interest in those three doesn't mean that they'll be acquiring them all. The Nets' asking price in trades have been sky-high as well, so the Lakers may find it difficult to swing a deal for one of those players, let alone three.
Nonetheless, don't expect the Lakers to field the same roster past the trade deadline as they continue to be on the clock when it comes to maximizing the remaining years of LeBron James as a high-level player.