The Los Angeles Lakers and their fans, as always, have high expectations. Although the team delivered a championship to the ‘City of Angels' less than four years ago, the last few seasons have been anything but ideal for the LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers. And it appears a trade for another superstar, like the one L.A. swung in 2019 to land Davis, does not appear likely this offseason despite rumors about Trae Young being traded by the Atlanta Hawks.

Young, a top-five draft pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, led the Hawks to an Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, but like the Lakers, the Hawks have struggled to repeat the success they had a few years ago. A trade for Dejounte Murray can officially be deemed a failure after the Hawks shipped Murray out to the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this week, and with Atlanta potentially entering a rebuild with No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and Jalen Johnson, Young may be on the trade market.

While the Lakers were at one time linked to Murray and Young, it appears the Lakers are not likely to get Young in an offseason trade if the star point guard is dealt, according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha.

“As far as trades go, the Lakers landing a third star in a deal appears unlikely, barring an unforeseen one secretly becoming available,” Buha wrote. “Donovan Mitchell is reportedly likely to sign a contract extension with Cleveland, which would rule him out. Trae Young’s switch from Klutch Sports to CAA also makes a trade to the Lakers less likely, as The Athletic previously reported. Murray is now in New Orleans and off the board. Perhaps Darius Garland becomes available, but he’s a clear step down from the Mitchell and Young tier of stars.”

Who will Lakers target in offseason?

The Los Angeles Lakers were bounced from the NBA Playoffs in the first round by the Denver Nuggets, losing a closer-than-it-appears series 4-1. But with LeBron James turning 40 years old this year and Anthony Davis' health ever a concern, the Lakers must make some moves as the JJ Redick era begins.

As Jovan Buha reported, a superstar trade is not likely, nor is it necessary. While a ‘Big 3′ is always fun and marketable — James would know better than anyone — two superstars is enough to win a championship if the core complements the stars well enough. The Celtics, despite an injury to Kristaps Porzingis and poor shooting from Jayson Tatum, clobbered the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals behind a strong core that includes Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford.

The Lakers should and likely will trade D'Angelo Russell after back-to-back years of poor performances in the playoffs. Russell, after opting into the second season of the two-year contract he signed last offseason, will make $18.7 million and could be packaged with players such as Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, or Jarred Vanderbilt for salary-matching purposes.  The Portland Trail Blazers' Jerami Grant and Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson are reportedly targets for the Lakers this offseason; Grant would have to be traded, while Thompson could sign for the mid-level exception if James takes a pay cut.

The Brooklyn Nets, who are certainly rebuilding after trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, could also be a good source of young, talented wings for the Lakers. Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith make just about as much combined as Russell and Hachimura do, and the Lakers could theoretically throw in another player to get back Dennis Schroder, whose impact was felt in the 2023 playoffs when the Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals.